By the Minute
by Umi Pryde
Summary: the Brotherhood and XMen try and get Lance and Kitty together. But nothing goes as planned on this Saturday, and they find themselves mixed up in some serious trouble as the day goes on...
1. Chapter 1

**Story DISCLAIMER:** I do not own x-men or the characters- Marvel does. This story was written for fun, that's all.

**UPDATES: **Chapter 18 is UP! Chapters 1-17 received some editing awhile back. I am truly sorry for the long wait on this, but have no fears, the story will be updated more often and may even end with more than the planned twenty chapters.

**By the Minute **

**Summary/info:  
**The Brotherhood and X-men students decide to join forces to try and get Lance and Kitty together. But it has to be done without Scott finding out about it- who seems to be acting strangely, even for Scott. And Lance and Kitty have no clue what their friends are trying to do so they go on with their day plans making it all the more difficult for the others plan to work. Just how long can the brotherhood and x-men stay focused on their common goal and not let their differences get in the way? - The clock is ticking for everyone as the day goes on and people start to disappear and some discover the loss of their powers. Will they be able to figure out what is going on to save everyone and continue on with their plan? Or is it ruined? ...

Rated T: for mild language and violence

* * *

**By the Minute – Chapter 1 **

**Saturday ****7:46 am**

**Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters **

**Danger Room Control Room **

Hank McCoy and Jamie are working on refining the new program for the danger room sessions and fixing some minor setup problems with the master control computer.

**Garage **

Logan is working on the X-Van doing some routine maintenance. Sam is there, watching him- trying to help and learn more about the vehicles at the institute. Sam used to help his dad on the farm with the trackers, so this was an area of interest for him, even though Logan did ignore him most of the time, and never answered any questions. Sam was good at being the silent observer.

**Kitchen **

"So where exactly are we going?" Rogue asked softly leaning toward Kitty at the table. Kitty finished chewing her muffin before turning toward her roommate with a mocking grin.

"Like I'm not going to tell you Rogue, then it wouldn't be a surprise."

Rogue turned away and sighed resting her chin in her hands, her elbow on the table.

"Fine. But it better be worth it," she mumbled. There was a crash behind them. The girls turned around in their seats to see Bobby and Evan on the floor. Bobby was covered with cereal and milk- the innocent by-stander of Evan's quick skate into the kitchen.

"Oh man, I'm sorry Bobby," Evan said standing up and offering Bobby his hand.

"No problem- I was planning on showering after breakfast anyways- I guess I'll just eat latter." He quickly left the room brushing some cereal out of his hair on the way out. Scott turned the corner into the room a moment latter.

"I thought I heard some sort of crash…Evan! How many times do we have to say no skating in the house! Clean this mess up!" Scott turned and left in a hurry.

Rogue and Kitty looked at each other.

"Like what's Scott's problem?" Kitty asked. Rogue shrugged at her.

"Yah got me, maybe him and Jean got into another fight," Rogue offered.

The girls just got up and left Evan to do his mopping alone.

-_ding dong, ding dong_-

"I'll get it!" Amara shouted- she was halfway down the stairs, running down the rest. Kitty and Rogue decided to just slow down but continued on their way up to their room. Amara opened the door.

"Hey girl! How you been?" A familiar voice rang out in its usual up beat and strong tone.

"Hi Tabitha I'm glad you came. How'd you get here anyways?" Amara asked a few seconds after her greeting. Tabitha looked over her shoulder,

"I had Lance drop me off," she replied. Kitty stopped on the stairs.

"Lance?" She turned and faced Tabitha.

Rogue noticed and stopped a little above Kitty. Tabitha leaned forward with a smile.

"Yeah, Lance. If you want to say hi you might want to hurry, I think the Bagger is giving him his usual friendly get out."

Kitty ran down the stairs and out the door. Rogue walked down the stairs and stood with Amara and Tabitha in the open doorway. Rogue and Tabitha shook their heads, Amara smiled.

"She's got it bad," they all said in unison. They quickly looked at one another and began laughing.

**7:51 am**

**Outside **

Kitty walked up to the open garage, noticing Lance's green jeep parked out front – empty. Lance had walked up to see what Logan was working on out of curiosity. Now it seemed Logan was standing on guard, letting Scott and Lance have at it verbally, ready to step in at first sign of the fight going physical. Kitty rolled her eyes, and approached at a steady speed.

_'I guess Scott came out here after yelling at Evan. Just great I wish him and Lance would just grow up and learn to leave each other alone...'_ she thought to herself.

Scott and Lance were a few feet apart and leaning forward as they exchanged their usual rude insults and lame threats.

"No one asked you for advice Alvers, just go."

"Well excuse me for knowing more on the subject than you Summers, I just thought Logan might appreciate another mechanical mind around. With you helping, its no wonder all your vehicles break down and need repair every week."

"Our vehicle repairs have nothing to do with _my_ maintenance, they _do_ have everything to do with _you _and your loser friends at the brotherhood."

Scott stepped forward as he said this pushing Lance back with his finger as he laid blame on Lance.

Lance clenched his fists and leaned into Scott's arm. Both boys were glaring, clearly waiting and wanting the other to make the first move.

Logan cleared his throat to get their attention shifted to him. Lance and Scott turned their heads toward him, he was looking out just past them.

"Half-Pint, what do ya need?" he spoke in his casual grunt.

Kitty was taken aback for a second, she had just walked up, but had heard Lance and Scott fighting and she wasn't happy with Scott. Scott rolled his eyes, he could guess what Kitty had come out here for and it only made him more annoyed with Lance. Lance had turned his complete attention from both Logan and Scott. He stood up straight and gave a slight wave in her direction.

"Hey pretty Kitty, how's it going?" He had a hint of a smile on his face as he spoke. Kitty noticed this and gave him a smile of her own.

"I'm good Lance, thanks for asking," she suddenly looked past him, and noticed the mess of the X-Van parts out around the garage. "Hey what's wrong with the X-Van?" she said, not meaning to ignore Lance and change the subject, but it couldn't be helped. She had made plans for the day and the X-Van was a part of them.

Scott just crossed his arms as Kitty approached, and Lance decided to walk with her up to the X-Van where Logan had resumed work under the hood.

"I'm giving this baby some much needed attention. Why, what's the matter Half-Pint?" Logan asked raising an eyebrow at the pout on Kitty's face.

"But we had plans today! They will be like totally ruined if we can't take the X-Van!" Kitty pouted. Logan's eyebrow remained raised.

"And by we, you mean…" he started.

"Me, Rogue, Amara, Rahne, and now Tabitha. We have a special surprise for Rogue planned," Kitty sighed. Logan stood up and turned toward her,

"Sorry Half-Pint, but this vehicle isn't taking anyone anywhere till I get done with it," he went back to working under the hood.

"What! But Mr. Logan what are we suppose to do for a ride now!" Kitty exclaimed, crossing her eyes.

"Hey Kit-Kat, I could drive you girls to wherever you need to go," Lance offered. Kitty looked up to him with a smile and opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off as Scott walked forward and pushed Lance back by the shoulders.

"I don't think so Alvers. The girls aren't going anywhere with you," he said, still fuming from their argument. Both Kitty and Lance glared at him.

"And like why not Scott?" Kitty asked.

Logan shook his head under the hood, he wasn't a fan of the brotherhood either, but Lance giving the girls a ride wouldn't be the worse thing in the world. It would take the girls to their plans for the day and get them out of his hair, plus he wouldn't have to spend his day listening to them complain about his poor timing with his maintenance. Scott was making more trouble than needed with the situation and it was starting to get on his nerves.

"Because it's Lance, Kitty, he is a member of the brotherhood, and trouble follows him and his buddies around wherever they go."

Logan stopped working, confused at the weak excuse provided. Something wasn't right here.

Both Lance and Kitty laughed at Scott.

"Well if that's all, then-" Kitty turned from Scott to Lance, "sure Lance, let me go get the girls, this is like so nice of you, thanks."

She left the garage at a skip smiling, completely ignoring the look on Scott's face. Lance slid his hands in his pockets and walked out of the garage, a smug smile on his face that he had no problem sharing with Scott. Scott just glared and walked away. Logan raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going on with the teenager, and if it was something he and the other instructors should know about. He made a mental note of discussing the situation with Charles when he would go in for lunch later.

**Inside **

Evan finished mopping and started fixing his breakfast, grabbing a sports drink from the fridge and putting some pop-tarts in the toaster. Rahne came in with her hair up in the usual pig-tails dressed in jeans that were cut up in a few places around the knees and a mint green quarter-length cotton shirt. She poured herself a glass of orange juice and picked up half a bagel and a chocolate chip cookie for her breakfast, humming to herself. A second later, Amara, Tabitha, and Rogue walked in smiling.

"We really need to do something about those two, don't you think?" Tabitha said pulling herself up a chair and leaning back, her feet crossed on the table.

"Yeah, I know what yah mean," Rogue agreed.

Rahne and Evan looked at the girls, curiously.

"Hey who are you guys talking about?" Evan asked, sitting next to Amara.

"Lance and Kitty," Amara explained, "Tabitha thinks we should hook them up or something."

"Oh that would be fun!" Rahne squealed softly. Tabitha smiled at her.

"Exactly, I knew I liked you!" she said giving Rahne a wink.

"Yeah, but if Scott ever found out you guys set them up together, he'd go ballistic," Evan said. The girls all stared at him.

"And why are we suppose to care what that laser brain thinks about it?" Rogue asked, she wasn't about to let Scott Summers and his stupidity get in the way of her best friends possible happiness. Evan grabbed his pop-tarts as they jumped up. Tabitha grabbed a bagel from the table spread.

"Well you know, we could set something up today couldn't we?" Tabitha was looking more at Amara than the others. "I mean, we are already going to be out, we would just have to get Lance and her together later."

"Exactly where are we going again?" Rogue asked

"Hey! You aren't suppose to know Rogue!" Amara said, "Kitty has had this planned with the rest of us for awhile, and we are not going to spoil it."

Tabitha and Rogue looked at one another and smiled.

"Amara, I don't think Kitty would mind if we change the plans up on her just a bit. Besides, are you sure this was a surprise for Rogue, I mean, I thought we were just going to the Mall?" Tabitha said.

"Tabitha, shh!" Amara squealed.

"The Mall? That's it,…that's my special surprise. What on earth was Kitty planning?" Rogue asked, trying not to get too disappointed.

"She had a whole day planned, we were going to all get new outfits and makeovers and stuff. She said she really wanted to take you along and let it be a treat to you and stuff..."Amara tried to explain but she trailed off as Bobby came into the room- he greeted Tabitha and asked everyone what was up. Tabitha grinned even bigger.

"Bobby you're here! This is wonderful, you can help us plan a way to hook up Kitty with Lance. We need to keep Scott out of the loop on this though, got it."

Bobby sat down next to Evan and Tabitha.

"I'm in. What's the plan?" he asked, he lived for stuff like this.

"If we had one, she wouldn't have asked for help with one," Rogue said with an annoyed sigh.

"I know! Why don't we ditch Kitty at the Mall or something and then maybe Lance and her can bump into each other randomly," Rahne suggested. The others considered this for a moment.

"Not the best, but it is a start. We can ditch Kitty, that would be simple enough, but how to insure Lance is the only one there?" Tabitha wondered aloud.

"Girls! Rouge! Amara! Tabitha! Rahne! Girls come on I got us a new ride!" They all jumped in their seats hearing Kitty shouting as she came in the front door. "Hey Girls! Come on, Where are you Guys?" She walked into the kitchen and stood at the doorway.

"Come on, Lance is going to get us a ride cause Mr. Logan is working on the X-Van," she said motioning them to come along and leaving.

The group sat at the table and stared around at one another.

"Okay… So you girls go with them and me and Bobby will recruit some help and then we will give you a call with the rest of the plan," Evan suggested.

The girls didn't look all that convinced, but figured they should just nod and leave.

"Call me, I'll pretend you are my mom and leave the group for a bit so there won't be any chance of Kitty overhearing anything, then I'll update everyone else afterwards," Rahne suggested.

"Great thinking wolf-girl," Tabitha said, grabbing both Rahne and Amara around the waist and heading out of the building with Rouge following behind them.

**8:08 am**

**Outside **

The girls and Lance piled into the jeep to leave. Lance, Kitty, and Rouge in the front,

Rahne, Tabitha, and Amara in the back.

"Where to?" Lance asked turning out of the drive.

"Bayville Sunstone Mall," Kitty said.

"Right…and which one is that?" Lance asked knowing there were two actual 'Bayville' ones and another one on the way out of the city somewhere, but he really didn't pay attention to their names.

"The one near the ice skating rink and the hair salon," Kitty answered, also motioning with her hand to the left.

"Right," Lance said, making a left.

"Thanks for driving us by the way Lance," Kitty said after a few minutes of driving with no one saying anything. Well Tabitha had started whispering to the two girls in the back, but whatever it was they obviously didn't want anyone else to hear so the three up front were left in silent discussion, which was making Kitty uncomfortable.

"No problem Kit-Kat, besides, seeing the look on Summers face and knowing how much it bugs him makes it worth it. I swear, that guy has more PMS tendencies than Pietro."

This made everyone laugh, and soon the whole group was picking on Scott, though Rahne and Amara would only pitch in a little, they let the other's speak out instead of trying to voice their own opinions about him.

**Inside the Institute **

Evan and Bobby finished their breakfasts and cleaned up the kitchen. They headed upstairs to start on operation: _get Lance and Kitty together without Scott finding out about it_, and to work on a better title. They went to the game room to find their friends.

Ray and Jubilee were suppose to be studying for a physics test, but their books were left piled around the couch and table and they were now in the midst of playing a game of Risk. Jubilee was winning, her yellow pieces were surrounding Ray's remaining forces.

"Hey you two, want to help us with a secret project?" Bobby asked pulling up a chair and surveying Jubilee's progress with interest. Ray and Jubilee lifted their eyebrows with curiosity, noticing that Evan seemed to be watching the door for Bobby.

"Here's the deal," Bobby said, clearly enjoying this far too much, "Tabitha and Rogue had the idea to get Kitty and Lance together. Amara and Rahne are out with those three and Lance is driving them to the Mall. So now we need to figure out a way that gets Lance to meet up with Kitty randomly once the other girls have conveniently ditched her. Oh, and no matter what we do, Scott can't find out."

"Duh," both Jubilee and Ray said.

"It's a good thing Jean is out all day, huh," voiced Jubilee, all thoughts of world domination gone from her mind, she could take it over any day, this would actually be challenging.

"So, how do we get Lance and Kitty to meet up? and where?" Bobby asked, getting to the point.

"Well if the girls are at the mall, then they should meet up around there, Kitty won't leave by herself even if the girls ditch her," Jubilee said.

"Yeah, but Lance hanging around at the Mall. No guy does that," Ray spoke up.

"Unless," Evan quickly turned toward them, still standing at the door, "they are lured to someplace else close by the mall under false pretence."

"Huh?" the other three asked.

"You know, like we have one of the girls phone Kitty and say they are getting hungry around lunch, feel bad about loosing her and want to meet up at a restaurant close by instead of the food court."

"That could work Evan!" Jubilee said.

"Yeah, great idea…but what about Lance," Bobby said, drumming his fingers on the table.

"Easy," said Ray, "We get someone from the brotherhood to call him to come to lunch." The others considered this for a moment.

"Can we really trust the brotherhood with helping us in setting them up?" Evan asked, thinking Peitro would rather cause problems than solutions. The others thought to themselves for a bit.

"This is getting a bit technical for me," Ray sighed leaning back. He stood up and started for the door. "I'll be right back with help."

"Where are you going? We can't tell Scott, remember?" Bobby said, worried.

"I know that, I'm going to get someone who can think technically in the most simplest way possible. Besides, if anyone is going to convince the brotherhood to help it is going to be the one of us they haven't fought and the most innocent of us all….well sort of," Ray explained.

"Jamie!" the three all shouted together.

"That's perfect! Where is he?" Jubilee asked standing up with Ray.

"I think he is with McCoy in the Control Room working on the computer systems," Evan said.

"I'm going to get Sam," Bobby stood up and headed for the door too, "He might as well be in on this too, everyone else is."

Evan and Bobby went right and headed down stairs and outside to collect Sam, and Jubilee and Ray turned left and headed to the elevator then down to the control room for Jamie. They couldn't wait to get the plan in motion.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**8:27 am**

**Bayville Sunstone Mall **

Lance parked the jeep and dropped the girls off at the Mall entrance. They all thanked him for the ride one last time and piled out of the vehicle. He watched them enter the building and waved a goodbye to Kitty when she looked back his way before following the other girls indoors. He wondered if that smile was for him, or just because he had done something nice for them. He sat there staring at the steering wheel, lost in his hopeful daydream.

--_Buzz_--

The alarm on his watch went off. (8:30)

"Guess I should start my day," Lance said to himself turning the ignition on and pulling out of the parking lot. He had a lot planned for the day that he needed to get started on. He did not have time to daydream about Kitty, no matter how much he wanted to.

**8:48 am**

**The Brotherhood Boarding House **

--_Knock, Knock, Knock_--

"Uh…Hello." Jamie beamed up as the door opened quickly, a bit nervous. Pietro looked around and was about to head back indoors when he looked down at the waving boy and blinked in confusion. Pietro just stood in the door way and leaned forward his arms resting on the doorframe, keeping him from falling.

"Who are you kid?" he asked quickly.

"I'm Jamie, I'm with the X-men." he smiled up at Pietro. Pietro grinned, fighting back the urge to laugh hysterically.

"Heh, really, and what might a pint sized x-geek like you want here?" He asked the boy, his mind trying to decide if he wanted to shut the door in the kid's face and continue watching TV with Todd and Fred or hear the kid out. The Television was looking better every half-second. Even if the cable was out.

"I'm suppose to ask you if you want to be a part of one of our top secret missions." Jamie said trying to remember to say everything the way the others had told him. He didn't want to mess this up.

"Secret mission? What kind of secret mission?-And what-makes you think-we'd-even-want to-help-you-Geeks?" Pietro asked, this was just barely keeping his attention, he was growing more and more antsy as the seconds passed on. He was close to slamming the door in the kid's face.

"Well it does effect all of you, so it is only fair we include you in the plans, though we can do it on our own." Jamie responded the best way he could, he couldn't remember everything the others had told him, he was feeling really unsure of himself, but he wasn't going to give up. He liked Kitty, she was always nice to him and didn't treat him like a nuisance like the others. She was kinda like a big sister to him.

"So why bother asking us?" Pietro responded almost immediately after Jamie was done with his half-baked explanation, and then another question popped into the speed demon's head, " What-exactly-are-you-guys-doing-and-who-the-hell-is-doing-it?"

Jamie blinked, he wasn't used to Pietro's speed talk.

"Uh…Wha.." he started to ask but Pietro cut him off.

"What exactly are you doing and who's doing it?" Pietro sighed to himself, he hated repeating himself, especially slowing down to do it.

"Oh, all of us kids except Jean cuz she's at a soccer practice and Scott, cuz he wouldn't like it and he'd just try and stop us." Jamie said with a smile, he knew the answer to that one. Suddenly a devilish grin formed on Pietro's face, the kid had gained his full interest.

"Well I'm all ears-What's the mission?"

"To get Kitty and Lance together!" Jamie jumped when he said it, excited that he had gotten Pietro's interest, he wasn't failing everyone. He crossed his fingers behind his back hopefully.

There was an odd second of still silence between them as Pietro absorbed what Jamie had just said.

"Hell yes We'll help! This is great!" Pietro ran out and picked Jamie up in a wild hug. "You have no idea how much Lance-has-been-driving-us-crazy-with-his-crush-on-Kitty-the-fact-that-he-hasn't-acted-on-his-feelings-cuz-for-some-stupidly- psychotic-reason-he-doesn't-think-she-feels-the-same-way-when-everyone-else-can-see-it-plain-as-daylight-that-she-does." he rambled on in his fast speech, but Jamie understood most of it.

By this time the other X-men, who had been watching Jamie from a safe distance, were running up the driveway to the Boarding house, thinking Pietro was attacking him. Jubilee was in the lead, but she stopped as she noticed Pietro was happy, not mad. Pietro was shouting with joy and practically dancing around the lawn, Jamie was just laughing as Pietro swung him around in the air.

Pietro put Jamie down and looked at the others when he noticed them standing in the drive staring at him in disbelief.

"I'll be right back…" he said and disappeared in his speedy way back into the house, before the others could voice their concerns or questions, he was back with Fred and Todd standing beside him looking confused.

"These guys want to help us shut Lancey boy up and get him and Kitty together- - behind Summers's back." Pietro quickly explained, adding the ending part when he saw the start of disbelieving and unsure faces his teammates were forming.

"Seriously yo?" Todd asked.

Fredd scratched his head, "..Why? …How?..." was all he said. Pietro leaned on Fred's arm,

"They are about to explain," he said motioning toward the x-men, he wanted to know the plan too. The sooner the better.

Sam, Bobby, Ray, Jubilee, Evan, and Jamie exchanged mischievous smiles to one another and together they took turns explaining the steps of the plans that were to unfold during the course of the day.

--

"You know, I think it's great you guys are going to help us with this." Jubilee said to Pietro as they walked to the Institute together. Pietro grinned,

"Oh no, thank you. We have been trying to get Lance to ask her out for months."

"Really?! But you guys tease him for liking her all the time!" Evan exclaimed, shocked that the brotherhood would actually attempt something so, so nice.

"It's fun to pick on him yo." Todd explained, hopping next to Evan.

"Yeah, but what isn't fun is listening to him mope around, complain, and daydream about Kitty- It's enough to drive a person crazy. Besides we were getting bored at the house and needed something exciting to do. Why not this?" Pietro asked the x-men, fighting back the urge to speak rapidly so they could understand him. This earned him smiles from all the new mutants, who had a taste for mischief themselves.

"You know what the best part about this plan is though?" Bobby asked everyone, rubbing his hand together and grinning broadly. Everybody stopped and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. They weren't exactly sure if getting Kitty and Lance together should bring Bobby this much pleasure. "Scott is going to go berserk!"

Pietro smiled his devilish smile again,

"I know, believe me, I know!"

They all laughed at the thought and started walking to the Institute again.

**Bayville Sunstone Mall **

**In the changing room **

"Amara you look great! Red is definitely your color." Kitty said smiling as she and Amara compared outfits from the doorways of their changing rooms. They were waiting on the others to appear as well. Amara mirrored Kitty's smile,

"Thanks, I like that outfit on you too! Those Jeans look great Kitty." The girls felt really good about the outfits they had chosen.

Kitty leaned against the door so it wouldn't close and lock her out. She had picked out a pair of long faded fashion jeans that had copper studs down the sides of the leg and on the back pocket flaps. She had a pink tank top on with a brown cotton knit camisole and a pink butterfly pendant necklace.

Amara had on a red top with a cream leather jacket and a fun patterned skirt of dark brown, black and red circles overlapping one another on a light brown background. The skirt reached just past her knees- she hadn't picked out shoes so she was just standing there barefoot.

Rahne came out of her room next. She had picked a navy patterned T-shirt that had a gold griffon with a shield behind it and put a gold chain link belt over it with a pair of fitted khaki cargo pants and navy converse shoes.

"How do I look?" Rahne asked, this was her first time out with the girls like this and she didn't want to be bad at this. Kitty and Amara looked her over and smiled, they didn't see anything wrong with it.

"You look great Rahne, you should like buy the whole outfit." Kitty suggested, Rahne looked so cute, and the outfit kept to Rahne's personality but gave her a mature look.

"I agree with Kitty." Amara said. The three girls all smiled at one another.

"Thanks," Rahne blushed, "you two look nice too. I love those jeans Kitty."

"Well I guess that means I should get them, huh. Do they really look that good?" Kitty asked giving herself another look over in the mirror. Amara and Rahne assured her she looked great.

Rogue opened her door. "Well, here Ah am." she said rolling her eyes. She had been given cloths by the other girls to try on since she had complained the store wasn't in her 'taste'.

She stood in the opening of her dressing room with tight dark jeans with black boots over them that reached up just under her knees. They had a slight heal to them and where leather with three buckle straps decorating them each. She had on a long sleeve tight hugging V-neck black shirt and over it a long green and black wrap top with a leather belt on over it around her waist. She hated to admit it, but she liked the look of the cloths on her, and it was something different, which was the point of the day.

Before the other girls could respond, Tabitha opened her door and popped out with her new outfit as well. She had kept on her jeans and just grabbed some carmel brown leather boots to put on over them. She had grabbed the same long wrap top as Rogue, but hers was light blue and grey and she had a grey tank-top cami under it. She had given in to Kitty's suggestion and had taken her hair down and put in a dark blue thick headband that matched the dark blue beaded bracelets on her wrist. A quick glance around the room and Tabitha smiled.

"Well I won't say this is hot, but we do all look good. But Amara, we have to find you something else to wear with that top- that skirt is killing me." she said.

"Rogue you look awesome. And see, Tabitha, you look good with the headband." Kitty said.

"You guys look great," Amara said then looked down at her outfit again, "So what do you suggest I wear instead?" she asked her friend.

"Something with sex appeal for starters." Tabitha remarked. The other girls laughed as Amara blushed.

"Alright, well lets change and finish up, we do have that appointment at the salon to keep, plus Rogue's surprise." Kitty said walking back into her changing room and closing the door.

The other girls stared at one another and shrugged, then closed their doors to change too.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**9:07 am**

**The Institute **

The group was now settling into the game room. Freddy sat down on the floor blocking the door while everyone else found a chair or place on the floor. It was a crowded bunch and they were all silently thankful no one had spotted them coming in. When they had reached the gates of the Institute the teen mutants had all stopped and looked at one another. No one had thought about what they would say if Logan, Scott, or one of the others had inquired as to what they were all doing together. Luckily, no one had spotted them, and they didn't plan to stay there long anyways.

"We need to get all the specifics worked out if this is going to work," Jubilee said, pulling out a spare notebook and clicking her pen. She looked around the room smiling at all the eager faces.

'Now that all the players are in this game, it's time to get ready for action.' she thought to herself. But then something felt wrong. She looked around the room, the change in her thoughts evident on her face and the others picked up on it.

"Jubilee…What's the matter" Bobby asked. Jubilee grabbed the sides of her face and let out a horrified gasp, making everyone in the room jump.

"Oh my gosh! We forgot about Kurt!" she squealed in disbelief.

Everyone looked around the room and took notice of the same observation Jubilee had just come across. No one moved, unsure of what to say or do.

Pietro swallowed down his nerves,

"So where is the fur-ball anyways?" he asked.

"I don't know... I haven't seen him all morning." Evan said as he gave glances to his fellow housemates. Bobby, Ray, Sam and Jubilee all shrugged and shook their heads. They didn't know either. All eyes were on Jamie.

"Don't look at me, I just know he got up and left before Kitty got up. She was looking for him this morning and the Professor said he went out." Jamie said.

An overwhelming sense of relief filled the room.

"Hey! What about the Professor? Won't he read our minds and figure out what is going on?" Pietro asked, the thought suddenly coming to him at the mention of the Professor.

"I don't think he will, and even if he does, I don't see why he'd stop us. I think he'd just be thrilled that we have teamed up for once to do something." Ray said, he knew the brotherhood had a hard time trusting Xavier with his telepathy. Ray had to learn to trust him when he left the Morlocks to come to the Institute- he still felt on edge around the professor at times so he understood their thoughts toward him.

"Sure-And-what-about-mister-metal-bones?" Pietro asked.

"And Storm Yo." Todd asked.

"Hey, and that big furry guy?" Freddy added.

The x-men gave each other looks, Bobby had to bite his lip to keep from bursting out with laughter.

"My Aunt is out of the country picking up a new recruit and won't be back for a few more days." Evan explained.

"And Mr. McCoy is going to be in the control room all day. The computer system updates are taking forever." Jamie said a slight grin on his face.

"Logan is working on the X-Van in the garage; he won't be a problem as long as none of us do anything to cause trouble." Sam added.

"New recruit? Alright, new blood yo." Todd gave Pietro and Fred a smile, but only Fred returned it. Pietro waved his hand in front of Todd's face to shut him up.

"Yeah, whatever. So when are we going to start this plan of ours." He asked, standing up, if the room wasn't so crowded he would have been running around like normal. He wished they could have this meeting outside.

Jubilee pulled out her cell phone. "Right now if we can decide on a restaurant." she said, pulling up her contact list.

"It should be someplace casual, but nice enough for a date." Bobby said, "The pizza parlor isn't good enough. What else is around there?"

Ray stood up, went to the bookcase, and grabbed one of the spare phone books that were in various rooms of the mansion.

Sam had a look of deep thought on his face, but he wasn't thinking along the same lines as the others. Something else had caught his mental awareness, he seemed to be calculating something on his fingers.

"Feel like sharing-something with-the-rest-of us?" Pietro asked raising an eyebrow fidgeting in his seat. He earned more looks from the group than Sam.

Sam stopped his train of thought, and ran his hand through his hair, a bit embarrassed about being put on the spot.

"No, sorry… Do you think they'd like that new malt and burger place that opened last week?" he was silently relieved that his brain had decided to keep working.

"The one with the 50's theme?" Evan asked.

"Is there another malt and burger place that-just-happened-to-open-up-last-week-that-we-should-know-about-Evans?" Pietro asked, not even trying to slow down his speech anymore. "I-say-that-place-will-be-as-good-as-any. Any objections?"

The others didn't even have time to think of their response.

"No. Okay-then-that's-settled. Sparks-mind-giving-the-girls-a-ring?"

"Uh…okay." Jubilee said. 'Sparks?!' was the thought on her head as she flipped down the list of names. "Who should I call?" she asked.

"Rahne said to call her and pretend to be her mom or something." Evan said sharply.

"Does it-matter-as-long-as-it-isn't Kitty she calls?" Pietro asked starting to walk around the room, he couldn't run, but he had to move.

"Cool it Maximoff." Evan gave him a glare from his armchair as Pietro passed by.

"Why-don't-you-just-shut-up-or-better-yet-make-me-why-don't-ya?"Pietro snapped back.

"Why don't you both cool it, or I'll cool you both right down." Bobby said, icing up his left hand.

Pietro stopped in his tracks and him and Evan, along with most of the others in the room stared at him and blinked.

The boys all burst out with laughter, except Bobby who crossed his arms and sulked in his seat.

"Would you guys shut-up and sit down Pietro, It's ringing." Jubilee snapped her fingers at him, a small set of sparks flying out of them, and pointed to the seat he had been in on the couch with Bobby, Todd, and Sam. Pietro and the others quickly stopped laughing, looking at the highly annoyed and serious look on her face. He sat down, feeling awkward.

"Oh sure, take her seriously. She didn't even threaten you." Bobby snapped in a loud whisper over Sam at Pietro.

"She didn't have to yo. That was just scary." Todd supplied his thoughts, supporting his teammate.

"I have learned never to mess with girls who harbor fire power when they look like that." Pietro explained, he didn't need Todd's help.

There was awkward silence as they all had visions of Boom Boom in one of her moods. There was a united shudder throughout the room.

"Hey Rahne, its Jubilee. We got the brotherhood boys here to help. No, don't believe the others, they are actually quite nice."

"What!" Pietro squeaked in an equal mix of horror and shock.

"She's kidding right?" both Evan and Todd said, though Todd had his usual 'yo' at the end of his question. Jubilee ignored the wide-eyed stares she was receiving from the boys and continued her conversation.

"Okay so you need to get Kitty to go to the….hang on…" she looked at Sam, "What is the name of the place?" she asked holding the phone from her face.

"I don't know." Sam replied.

"The Rockin' Roller Diner" Ray said, fingering the restaurant's name in the phone book in disbelief.

--Silence--

"That's a joke right?" Pietro asked warily. He didn't think it could get any worse. There was no way Lance would ever go in a place with _that_ title.

"Afraid not." Ray said, passing the phone book over, he didn't want to look at it anymore.

"Why what's wrong with it? It sounds like a fun place to eat." Jamie said, he had been so quiet the others jumped at the sound of his voice.

"HEY! JUBILEE! ANYONE THERE!? WHAT IS GOING ON??!!" the faint sound of Rahne's shouting broke the silence the others had been in, unable to form a proper response to Jamie's question. Jubilee placed the phone to her ear.

"Sorry, we have another detail to fix. I'll call you back." she hung up with a sigh.

"This isn't going too well is it?" Fred asked, stating aloud the thought that everyone shared, but no one else would say aloud.

"Here pass me the phone book yo. I'll find a place that's cool yo." Todd suggested reaching for where it lay on the coffee table.

Pietro was faster than him though and stood up flipping through the pages and walking around the room.

The others rolled their eyes watching him, and listening to his occasional 'no-no-no''s and 'not a chance''s.

Before everyone completely blew up at him he sat back down with some pages clearly marked between his fingers.

"We have-some-good options here." he said to get everyone's attention and cleared his throat. He focused on speaking normally so everyone could hear him correctly. "There is Coffee Central- but that is pushing it with Lance, we might have a better chance with the diner. There is Granite Tower- it is suppose to have a nice sandwich, salad, and soup menu selection. Then we have Dragon Dynasty or Bamboo Palace for some Asian food. And then the Pizza Station, but I think that was already disqualified."

"What kind of food would Lance be in to?" Ray asked, honestly not knowing. He knew Kitty would prefer the first two or the pizza place before the Asian ones for food choices since she was a vegetarian.

"Lance and us aren't picky eaters, we just don't have the cash to eat fancy." Fred responded.

"I like the sound of that Granite Tower place. Kitty would get a salad and Lance could order a sandwich or something." Jubilee said.

It was settled, they all agreed and let Jubilee make the call to Rahne as they gathered themselves up and headed outside. They would have to walk to that part of town, and besides Pietro, that would mean it would take awhile to get there.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

**9:07 am**

**Bayville Sunstone Mall **

"Come on out Kitty, we are all waiting." Tabitha whined teasingly. She and the other girls stood outside the dressing room door. They had moved on to a different store, one of Tabitha's choice that sported more "sexy" clothing in her words.

The store only had two changing rooms since it was much smaller, so they had to take turns. Tabitha had thrown Kitty in after herself with some rather tight tops that Kitty seemed rather unsure about.

"Hold on, I'm not used to putting stuff like this on." Kitty said from the other side of the door. Tabitha rolled her eyes.

"Just hurry up will you." She said tapping her toes.

"Yah know yah sound like Pietro when yah do that." Rogue laughed.

"Well she _is_ taking forever." Tabitha turned back towards the door. "Come on Kitty don't make me open that door myself!" she shouted.

"Do you girls need any help?" A store assistant asked walking up to the girls.

"No, no we're just trying to get our friend in there to show us her outfit." Rogue said waving the person off. She gave Tabitha a stern look when the door clicked and the handle turned.

Kitty peeked her face from around the door, barely holding it open a few inches.

"I don't think this is a great idea. You sure I can't wear the other top I found?" she looked behind her in the dressing room to another top that was hanging there.

"Next. Now open up and let's see how you look!" Tabitha said pushing the door fully open causing Kitty to take a step back.

Kitty shifted her weight uncomfortably as the other four girls looked her over from head to toe.

"Kitty is that you?!" Amara said eyes wide almost in disbelief.

"Not bad, not sure it's you, but it definitely looks good on yah suga." Rogue said with a smile.

"You guys do realize I won't be buying this stuff right." Kitty commented feeling very exposed in the black tie up corset top and the very short black miniskirt with hot pink stitching.

"Why not!? You're a hot kitten in that, and I bet I could bring more than one guy we know here to tell you the exact same thing." Tabitha said, with a wink at the end.

Kitty looked away as her checks began to turn pinker. She quickly retreated into the room and closed the door, much to the dismay of the others girls who seemed to make a big deal out it.

"Come on Kitty, we were just teasing." Tabitha said in her cheerful way.

"Yah know yah really should get something like that, it's something different." Rogue said, happy to be able to use the same line on Kitty that Kitty had used on her at the other store.

A few minutes later Kitty came out with the jeans she had bought at the first store on with a black button-up tank top that reached just above her stomach.

"I like this one." she said smiling at the others.

"That's the one you picked out right?" Amara asked, "That's suits you more."

"Yeah you look cute, what else is new." Tabitha rolled her eyes, even though she really did like the top on Kitty, she also really wanted to see the look on Lance's face if he saw Kitty in the outfit she had picked out.

"Great. Now turn yah self around and get changed so the rest of us can dress ourselves up to be gawked at." Rogue said, pushing Kitty back into the changing room.

**9: 22 am**

**Xavier Institute **

Down in the lower levels of the mansion, directly in front of the Cerebro room, the wheelchair lay fallen on its side and its occupant lied just beside, unconscious.

**Bayville Sunstone Mall **

Amara was in the changing room getting back into her own cloths after trying on a few different styled red tops. She had found one with a fifties style neckline with quarter length sleeves.

The others were waiting outside for her, Rahne was the only one who had not tried on cloths, but after looking the store over, she didn't think her mother would approve so she had decided to check out the jewelry while the others hung out in the changing room.

--_ring ring….ring ring_--

Rahne jumped as her phone when off. She flipped it open seeing that it was Jubilee and grinned to herself.

"Hello….Hey Jubilee…the brotherhood?! I thought they were bad guys?...Oh, okay then if you say so…What is the plan?" Rahne chatted with her, watching the dressing room area closely hoping to signal to the others that she was speaking to the rest of the conspirators without Kitty noticing. "Jubilee?" she looked at the phone confused, she didn't get why Jubilee was not answering her.

"HEY! JUBILEE! ANYONE THERE!? WHAT IS GOING ON??!!" she shouted into the phone after a minute or so. She heard Jubilee say she'd call her back and then the –click- of the phone. Rahne stared, confused as to why Jubilee would just hang up on her.

Rahne shrugged it off, ignoring the looks from a few of the customers around her, and joined the others as they were ready to make their purchases and head out. Tabitha gave Rahne a strange look, and Rahne just made a small shrug, not knowing what to say.

Tabitha grabbed Kitty by the arm and did a complete 180 grabbing a few things on the rack as they headed back to the changing room.

"You know what Kitten," she brushed her check next to Kitty's "I'm not ready to leave just yet, not until I finally get you into something sexy enough that even you can't hate how you look in it."

"Wha—what!?" Kitty tried to protest, but the other girls had picked up on what Tabitha was trying to do and were grabbing things in Kitty's size from the various racks around them.

"It will be fine, trust us, it will be good for yah." Rogue tried to help coax her as they piled all the cloths in her arms and pushed her back into the dressing room. "Now throw some of those cloths on and don't come out until yah can dazzle us." Rogue couldn't believe just how corny she sounded, but if it worked, than it was worth it.

The four girls backed away from the door so Kitty couldn't over hear them whispering.

"So what's going on?" Amara asked.

"Yeah, what's the master plan?" Tabitha asked huddling in, keeping the dressing room in her eye line.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Jubilee hung up on me." Rahne said.

"What!" they shouted together. Rahne winced as if it were her fault.

"She started to tell me where we are suppose to take her and then just hung up." she explained.

--_ring ring….ring ring_ --

The girls looked down at Rahne's hands as her phone began to ring.

"Come on let's take this outside," Rogue said, noticing all the people who were looking at them. Rahne answered as they headed out of the store.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**9: 37**

**Institute/Outside **

The group leave the Xavier Institute and head downtown toward the restaurant and mall. They gather around the first bus stop they come to not wanting to walk the entire way.

**9:56**

**The ****Bayville** **High School**** Soccer field **

Jean wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel. Practice was over a few minutes early, of which she was grateful. She waved goodbye to her teammates and then got in Scott's convertible, which he had let her drive this morning, and headed toward the mansion.

**Down Town Bayville - - across the street from the Sunstone Mall **

Lance walked with his hand in his pockets, letting out a sigh.

_'Well that didn't go over too well. Two down, three to go but at this rate what's the point. I just wish I knew what I did wrong'_ He was lost in his own thoughts and almost walked into the street, but someone pulled him back.

"Vatch out man!" a familiar voice shouted. Lance was shocked back into reality and looked down at the young German who just saved him from being hit by a car. "You should pay closer attention to vhere you are going mein freund." He said with his quirky smile.

"Yeah," Lance sighed, "thanks Kurt." he said the last part under his breath pushing the button on the street light to cross it, his car was parked on the other side.

"No problem. So vat vere you doing?" he asked, apparently he was trying to cross the street too. Lance laughed to himself, the kid could just teleport to his destination he wanted, he halfway wondered why Kurt didn't take advantage of his gift. His next thought went to the x-men and then to Xavier and he stopped laughing.

"Job hunting." Lance replied, wondering after he had said it why he even bothered replying.

"Vhy, I thought the brotherhood just stole everything you needed." Kurt hadn't meant it to be an insult, more like a harmless joke, but that isn't how Lance took it.

"For your information fur-ball we only steal when we feel like it. I work for most of the cash we have even if isn't as much as we'd like. So you can just go tell your x-geek friends that they can blame someone else for the city's theft rate." Lance said, stalking off across the street. Kurt had to run slowly to keep up.

"Hey man, I didn't mean it like that." Kurt stopped as Lance glared at him. He gulped and watched the older teen stalk off and get into his jeep. Kurt looked down at the ground, maybe he did think that…

**10: 06**

**Institute/Garage **

Jean yawned her hello to Logan when she parked the car.

"Hey Red, how was practice?" he asked her from under the hood of the X-Van.

"It was exhausting. Did the girls leave already?" she asked, remembering Kitty had asked her to come spend the day with them.

"They left for the mall hours ago…" he started to answer her but she cut him off with another yawn.

"Thanks Logan, I think I'll just catch up with them around lunch time or something." She headed inside desperately thinking of two things- a shower and a nap- and in that order too.

She made her way up the stairs, rubbing her head along the way. She had been experiencing headaches on and off for the past few days. This would normally worry her, thinking it was tied in with her powers, but they weren't causing any problems that she was noticing.

In fact, she thought they might have something to do with the fact that it had suddenly become easier to control her powers, she hardly even noticed anyone's thoughts in the Institute anymore, kind of like now.

She grabbed some clean cloths from her room and then went to take her shower.

**Bayville Sunstone Mall -- the changing room **

Kitty opened the dressing room door sporting a tight dark blue halter top with a flowing black skirt that reached just above the knees and black arm-sleeve gloves Tabitha had thrown at her.

"Here, happy you clepto," she sighed, unhappy with the whole situation.

No one was around. She craned her neck and scanned the store not seeing any of the girls.

"Like that's weird, where did they go?" she sighed glaring around her and then smiled, realizing with them gone she didn't have to try on anything else. She quickly closed the doors and changed.

Kitty didn't want to leave all the cloths in the changing room, so she hung them back up and then went to the cashier, she had decided to get the black skirt.

"Excuse me," she addressed the woman, who had approached the other girls- though Kitty didn't know that, "Did you happened to see the girls I was with. I think they left while I was in the changing room." Kitty asked paying for the skirt. The woman thought about it for a few seconds,

"Oh, those girls, they left the store awhile ago. I think one of them was on the phone, they were so loud talking about setting up some sort of meeting or something. They mentioned a restaurant…. what was it…oh yes, Granite Tower." the lady smiled taking Kitty's money and giving her back her change.

Kitty frowned, "Thanks." and left the store, very unhappy from being ditched.

**10:12**

**Bayville Sunstone Mall **

Lance found a place in the Mall parking lot and sighed, punching the steering wheel, making the horn go off. He was sick of everything; sick of the x-geeks, Mystique and Magneto abandoning them without a trace, having to be the sole provider for the brotherhood, not being able to get a new job, and not being able to date Kitty.

He got out of his jeep and headed inside, looking at his watch again and realizing he was just over 30 minutes early for his scheduled interview. _'Guess I'll find something to do while I wait,'_ he thought, not sure as to what he was going to do.

**Institute **

Scott had been waiting for Jean to come home with his car. He quickly walked out of the Institute and jumped into his convertible. He didn't say anything to Logan, he just started the engine and peeled out heading downtown.

Logan didn't say anything, he was under the vehicle and knew Scott wouldn't have heard him anyways, but he did wonder what the boy was up to.

A second later Logan cursed under his breath, realizing exactly where Cyclops was heading in such a hurry. "Stupid kid" was audible under his low tone mumbling growls, but he went back to work, it wasn't like he could do anything about the situation anyways- at least nothing that would improve it. Thoughts regarding Danger Room practices quickly entered his head and he made another mental note to talk to Hank at lunch too.

**Bayville Sunstone Mall **

Tabitha, Rogue, Amara, and Rahne walked back into the store and went to the changing room.

"Hey girl, come out we want to check you out!" Tabitha said knocking on the door. It was opened up by a very confused dark brown haired girl.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked.

The other girls were wide-eyed and startled.

"Sorry, we…uh….thought you were our friend." Amara said, wondering where Kitty was.

"Well I'm not so leave me alone." the girl said slamming the door in their faces. Rogue had to drag Tabitha away to keep her from sending one of her bombs into the dressing room.

"So where did she go?" Rahne asked the others, just as confused as they were.

"Ah have no clue, let me see if the store cashier saw her leave." she said walking away from them toward the counter.

"Excuse me Mama," Rogue said "Did the brunette with the ponytail leave already?"

"Yes she asked about you actually, she left a few minutes ago." the cashier said, walking away to help another customer.

Rogue joined the others and filled them in on Kitty's disappearance.

"So she ditched us instead of us ditching her?" Tabitha asked, "That is just messed up."

"Maybe I should call her." Amara said pulling out her phone and clicking on Kitty's name. "It's ringing." she smiled at them.

-- _ring ring…ring_--

**10:14**

**Bayville Sunstone Mall **

-- _ring ring…ring_--

Kitty turned her head as a girl walking around her answered her phone. Kitty had stopped at the fountain near the middle of the mall and was sitting on a bench near it. She couldn't help but over hear the girl, since she was standing very close and speaking very loudly.

"Hey Beth, where are you guys I'm like completely lost. I can't believe we got separated. -- ha ha,-- yeah next time I'll just lock you in the dressing room with me." the girl started heading in a new direction, presumably to meet up with her friends. Kitty glared at her, wanting so much to smack the girl with her bags. But that did give her an idea. She would call the girls and yell at them for ditching her like that. She opened up her purse…

**down town Bayville --a random street **

-- _ring ring…ring_--

Kurt reached into his pocket and answered the phone.

"Guten Tag." he said.

"Kurt!..." there was an odd pause. "Why are you answering Kitty's phone?" the voice on the other end asked. Kurt recognized the girl's voice as Amara.

"Oh hello Amara, vas do you mean? This is mein cell phone." he said confused.

"No, I called Kitty. I know I did." she said, sounding just as flustered as him, and it seemed to Kurt she was a bit more upset about calling him than he would have thought one should be.

"I don't think so." he said, "Vhy don't you try calling her again?" he suggested.

"Fine." Amara hung up.

"Fraulein" he sighed to himself.

Kurt hung up too, shrugging it off and continued walking down the street.

**10:15**

**Bayville Sunstone Mall **

Kitty couldn't believe it, she didn't have her cell phone. She couldn't even think of where it might be, she just hoped it was somewhere in her room back at the institute. She leaned back and looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

"Hey Pretty-Kitty, that seat taken?" Lance asked, startling Kitty.

"Huh, like what?,…." she started then looked up at him, he was pointing at the spot on the bench beside her. "Oh no, go right ahead." she said moving her two bags down to the floor. She watched him sit down, he just looked straight ahead without even glancing at her. Kitty looked away randomly to her other side.

"So…," he started to say something which immediately gained Kitty's attention, she smiled as she turned toward him. "Where are the other girls?" he asked noticing they weren't around. Kitty expression changed to a full out death glare.

Lance gave her a sideways glanced when she didn't answer, quickly realizing he had asked the wrong thing. He tried to laugh it off, leaning away from her as he did,

"They ditched you didn't they?" again, he clearly said the wrong thing. Kitty's cheeks were turning red and she was scowling at him in such a way that if they could, her eyes would be piercing him through. Repeatedly.

Kitty fumed for a few moments, taking each breath at a time, unsure how she wanted to respond. Lance was leaning backwards rendered speechless from fear, completely clueless as to what to do and was halfway wondering if he should just get up and leave her to stew.

Kitty took a deep breath and sighed, she couldn't think of anything to say, and it wasn't really Lance who she was mad at anyways. She placed her head in her hands and proceeded to pout, almost forgetting Lance was sitting right beside her.

Lance watched as Kitty seemed to calm down. He loosened up as well, letting out a sigh of relief. He watched her for a second. _'Damn she's pretty when she looks like that,'_ he thought to himself, his face mirrored his thoughts.

Kitty glanced over at him and noticed his smile and goofy staring. She sat up straight.

"Like what is it?" she asked raising an eyebrow at him.

Lance quickly snapped out of it. He ran his hand through his hair and looked away.

"Nuh..nothing." he tried to recover and play it cool, but it didn't work so well.

Kitty smiled at him.

"Come on Lance you can tell me. What was it?" she asked. _'He's so cute when he's flustered like this,'_ she thought to herself and let out a giggle.

Lance turned his head to her and raised his eyebrow.

"What?" he asked.

Kitty stopped giggling and looked away, completely aware of the fact that her checks were growing warmer with each passing second.

"Like nothing." she said, flicking her bangs behind her ear with her left hand, only to let them fall a second later.

They glanced at one another, eyes locking and broke out in laughter together.

**down town Bayville --a random street **

-- _ring ring…ring_--

"Guten Tag" Kurt said his usual greeting with a smile.

"Kurt?! I called Kitty!" Amara shouted through the receiver. Kurt stopped smiling and held the phone from his face, giving the phone a glance over his eyes widened as he realized Amara was right.

"I do have her phone. I must have grabbed hers by mistake, ve both had them charging in the kitchen over night." he said contemplating how the accident probably happened in a calm voice.

"But then how can we find Kitty?!" Amara shouted at him.

"Vat?! Vat do you mean find Kitty? Is she lost? Is she hurt? Is she okay, should I call Scott?" Kurt started to ramble on with worry.

"NO!" Kurt held the phone away as more than one girl screamed through the receiver at him. He cringed from the pain in his ear while people walking passed him on the sidewalk gave him odd glances.

"Kurt. Yah there?" he heard Rogue asked. He hesitantly brought the phone up to his ear again.

"Ja." he replied. "Vat?"

"Listen, Kitty is fine, we were all just shopping together and we sort of left the store we were in so we could set up this plan we all came up with to try and get Kitty and Lance together. When we came back she had already left. We just need to find her. She has to be somewhere in the mall." Rogue explained calmly.

"Need any help, I'm just a few streets away. You are at the sunny one right?" he asked turning around and heading toward the crosswalk.

"Yes. Great. Call Amara when yah get here." Rogue sighed, thankful he didn't freak out on her, she wasn't sure how he would feel about their plan.

"Vill do. tschuss." he said hanging up.

**down town Bayville --the bus stop **

"Finally we're here, that took forever." Pietro said annoyed about just how slow the so-called 'fastest form of public transportation' was. He had been fidgeting around from seat to seat during the whole ride, luckily hardly anyone else had been on.

The others piled out one by one behind him. Jubilee glared at Pietro as he continued to rant on about how he could have done laps around the whole town while he waited for the bus to bring the rest of them here. She wasn't in the best of moods after spending that much time in a confined space with all those boys, who, had made the whole ride one obnoxious experience.

_Toad had tried to catch a fly that was zooming around and kept missing and hitting the rest of them on the leg, shoulder, and even tagged Jamie once causing two more to pop up. Luckily none of the human passengers were paying that much attention and Jamie was able to make them disappear. _

_Bobby and Fred were discussing/arguing over what were the best pizza topping combos. _

_Evan was trying to grab Pietro every time he went by, but didn't succeed. _

_Sam was singing to the country music song on the radio – much to everyone's dismay. Ray had tried to shut him up, but since Sam and him were at opposite ends of the bus and he couldn't make Ray out, he just sang louder. This made Ray go berserk and accidentally fried the radio system on the bus which didn't go over with Sam too well, or Jamie, who had been enjoying it oddly enough. _

_Meanwhile, Jubilee was trying to call the girls back to keep her sanity, but there wasn't a good signal for her phone, so she ended up just trying to tune them all out while a headache formed. _

Pietro froze as soon as he saw the look on Jubilee's face. Bobby came up beside him, placing his hand on Pietro's shoulder.

"Hey dude, what's wrong?" he asked then turned his head to follow Pietro's gaze. His eyes widened, he let out a laugh and smirked at Jubilee pointing at her face. "Hey, you've been taking lessons from Kitty haven't you?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

**10: 19 am**

**Bayville Sunstone Mall at the entrance **

Rogue was slouching against the railing of the escalator staring straight ahead of her watching the door leading out into the parking lot with the utmost attention. The sooner they could find Kitty the sooner they could get on with the plan.

While they were on the phone with Jubilee everyone had agreed that getting Kitty and Lance cleaned up and looking great before they were set up on there lunch date would be the perfect thing to do. In order to do that, Kitty would need to be found and Lance somehow convinced to go shopping.

"This is taking forever, where are they?" Tabitha voiced everyone's thoughts with her trademark annoyed exhale as she vented her anxiety out.

Amara and Rahne were sitting quietly on the bench next to Rogue and Tabitha was pacing around in front of them. Amara was staring at her phone, just incase someone called, she wanted to be prepared.

**the parking lot **

Kurt made his way through the parked cars toward the entrance. He wondered what the plan all entailed, he also hoped they could find Kitty so he could return her phone to her, he could only imagine how crazy she was going without it. It made him smile.

"Yo Fuzzball!" a familiar annoying voice rang out somewhere behind and to the left of Kurt.

"Vas?" Kurt turned expecting to just see Todd Tolensky, maybe even the rest of the brotherhood but the sight he was witnessing made him stop in his tracks.

"Hey Kurt, what are you doing here?" Bobby greeted.

"I'm meeting Rogue and the girls, I have to give Kitty her phone. I left home with it thinking it vas mein. Vas are you doing vith them?" Kurt scratched his head, a worried look on his face as he eyed Todd, Pietro, and Freddy.

"You mean Rogue didn't tell you, we are trying to hook Lance up with Kitty." Jubilee answered.

"Ja, I knew that. But vat do they have to do vith it?" Kurt asked giving a nod in the brotherhood boys direction.

"We're-helping-furball. Got-a-problem-with-that?" Pietro asked running up behind Kurt and leaning on his shoulder a smug grin on his face. Kurt gave him a questioning look but was cut off from replying when Ray pointed to the doors.

"We should go in and find the girls so we can get this plan going. Kurt you'll just have to go along with this, to late to stop it now." Ray was already heading toward the door.

"Who died and made him boss?" Bobby said annoyed watching Ray make his way to the door. Jubilee gave him a soft smack on the back of his head.

"Come on, let's just go in." she said following Ray's lead, grinning to herself. The rest of the group just shrugged at one another and silently followed the other two indoors.

**10: 21**

**Bayville Sunstone Mall at the entrance **

They didn't have to walk too far; the girls were already waiting right in front of them.

Ray and Jubilee waved at them as the rest of the group filed in behind them. They blocked the doorway, but no one really cared.

"About time!" Tabitha shouted and hugged Jubilee.

"We need to split up so we can find Kitty faster." Rogue said, trying to take charge of the situation. She knew that the awkward peace happening between everyone could only last for so long; she didn't want to waste a second.

"What about Lance yo?" Todd asked.

"Shouldn't he be at home?" Tabitha and Freddy said together.

"Hang-on." Everyone heard Pietro speak, but he darted away so suddenly it was as if he left the statement behind him. Everyone just stared blankly and blinked in amazement.

"Is he getting faster?" Tabitha asked looking more at Rogue and the Brotherhood guys than anyone else since the others wouldn't really know. She got shrugs in response form each.

"So who wants to search the lower level and who wants to go upstairs?" Rogue asked figuring Pietro would be back soon, but at least they could start getting organized.

"I'll take the lower level." Freddy said scratching the back of his head nervously, he couldn't get up there anyways since he wouldn't fit in the elevators and the escalators couldn't carry him and the stairs weren't sturdy enough to hold him.

"I'll go upstairs." Bobby offered.

"Up." Ray said casually.

"Me too!" Jubilee said smiling happily.

"I'll stay down here." Amara offered.

"I'm with them." Sam said gesturing toward the three of his friends.

"Me too yo." Todd said the four mutants exchanged unsure glances.

Rogue gave a small sigh, "Ah guess Ah'll go with the lot of yah." she said at Bobby's group, "The rest of ya go together down here." she looked at Tabitha and Amara, "You two make sure that Jamie doesn't get lost will yah." she said.

"Hey!" Jamie said offended.

"And keep him out of trouble." Rogue added glaring at him, making his protests stop quickly.

A slight breeze was the cue that Pietro was back.

"'tthereneitherwashisjeep. 'tlikehehadanyplans."

Most of the x-men recruits all stared at Pietro gesturing like a wild man in front of Rogue, eyes wide, almost popping out of their heads, jaws agape because they didn't understand a word he said and couldn't believe he could talk that fast, or how it was humanly possible.

Rogue rolled her eyes in annoyance and slapped her gloved hand over Pietro's mouth to silence the speedster.

"Ah guess we have to find Lance now too." she sighed.

"What?!" Freddy, Tabitha, Bobby and Sam said together.

"How are we gonna manage that in time yo?" Todd asked.

"Vas? I thought ve had to find Kitty?" Kurt asked.

"Where could they be?" Amara asked. Ray, Rahne and Jamie stayed silent.

"Oh man, is anything gonna go right today?" Evan asked sighing shaking his head in frustration. He wasn't the only one feeling this way either.

"So where do yah think Lance is?" Rogue asked the brotherhood members. Fred and Todd exchanged glances and shrugged.

"Beats-me." Pietro said.

"Don't ask me, I would have thought Rocky would head home after dropping us off, it's a bit strange for him not to be at home." Tabitha replied.

"Yeah, he's been working on the house on the weekends." Freddy said.

"He's still not done with the plumbing yo." Todd added, his thoughts wondering away from the topic.

"Could he have gone to the hardware store then?" Ray asked, "Maybe he needed something for the repairs."

"I'll go check." Pietro suggested, then ran out of the mall.

"This is completely insane." Evan exclaimed, sitting down on the bench next to Rahne.

"Should we go ahead and start looking for Kitty?" Rahne suggested trying to be helpful.

"Vhere vould she be?" Kurt asked.

"It's the mall dude, she's a girl. She could be anywhere." Bobby said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Everyone stared at him, annoyed that he would actually say it, knowing it was true and that their job in finding Kitty was going to take awhile.

Pietro speed back in the building and joined the group interrupting their conversation.

"Not at the department store, and I checked the house again too." he informed them. Tabitha sighed blowing her bangs up in the air.

"We need to split up and start searching then. Who wants to look for Lance?" Rogue asked.

"I'll do it, I-can-run-around-town-while-the-rest-of-you-look-for-the-kitkat-here." Pietro said. Rogue couldn't argue with that, he could look around town much faster than the rest of them and going with other people would just slow him down. She gave up with a sigh.

"All right then, go." She waved her hand at him and Pietro speed off. "The rest of yah split up and head out. Call if yah find her."

**10:33**

**Upper Level **

"How many more stores yo. This is getting boring." Todd asked hopping along with the others.

"We've only checked three places dude, chill." Bobby said. Ray and Sam both stopped and glanced at each other, then back at Bobby.

"Bobby," Ray started shaking his head.

"What?" Bobby said turning back at them.

Ray and Sam just rolled their eyes and shook their heads at him. They all started walking together again and Bobby looked at his friends, each walking on either side of him, confused.

"What?" he asked again.

Jubilee was giggling to herself as she walked along the railing with the others.

"Come on yah yahoos, let's check the next one." Rogue said trying to ignore the others.

**Lower Level **

"This is not how I planned to spend my Saturday." Kurt sighed walking with the others, being careful to stay in the middle of the group so that he wouldn't have to keep dodging people as they passed for fear he would brush up against them by accident.

"Tell me about it," Tabitha said turning into the candy shop. She glanced over by the stuffed animal shelves for Kitty, but didn't see her.

"I don't know, it beats sitting around the brotherhood house." Freddy said.

"Why, cable out?" Evan asked as a joke.

"Yeah, how'd you know." Freddy responded. Evan gawked at him. Jamie and Tabitha laughed.

"Do you think she'd go in there?" Amara asked pointing to the sports store.

"I wouldn't think so, but I've never been shopping with you guys before." Rahne said.

"I'll go look." Evan offered. Tabitha grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.

"Kitty isn't in there, I'd bet your life on it. Let's keep going." she said. Evan frowned at her.

"Hey maybe she got hungry and went to the food court." Freddy suggested, rubbing his own stomach. Everyone stared at him.

"She's not you big guy." Tabitha said.

"Maybe she met a friend from school." Jamie said, remembering one time when the x-men had all gone to the movies and Kitty had left them while they waited to go in to chat with her friends Doug and Webber.

They continued on their way checking stores and made their way toward the center of the mall, where, much to Freddy's delight and the others dismay, the food court was.

**Bayville: The Brotherhood Boarding House **

Pietro decided to check the Brotherhood house one last time before heading out all over town. He checked from top to bottom and went through each room. Nothing, no sign of the jeep either. He headed out again and stopped by the school, not really thinking Lance was there, but the girls track team was practicing and his attention was slightly diverted.

**10: 37**

**Bayville Sunstone Mall **

"I've been going to job interviews all morning, not that they're going very well." Lance said leaning back against the bench he and Kitty were sitting on in front of the fountain. They had been talking for a few minutes, nothing special, just various short conversations about life, school and complaining about how their mornings were going.

"That's great. I hope you get hired. Where's your next interview?" Kitty gave Lance an encouraging smile, she had a slight feeling of pride in Lance for taking the time and effort to get a job. She was happy for him and hoped he would get hired knowing he was the sole provider for the brotherhood since Mystique and Magneto had disappeared without a word.

"I have an interview at ten fifty at Baxter Books." Lance said scratching his chin in thought.

Kitty raised an eyebrow at him.

"Baxter Books?! You want to work at a bookstore?" she couldn't help but give him a disbelieving/teasing grin.

"Yeah well, at this point I just need a pay check. As long as the wages are good and the hours are steady but somewhat flexible I'll take it." he replied slightly defensive as he ran his hand through his hair.

'makes sense.' Kitty thought to herself, though she still had a hard time pictuing him working in a bookstore. There was a strange silence as neither knew what to say next.

"Hey, Kitty…" "So, Lance…" They both spoke up at the same time. Kitty giggled Lance ran his hand through his hair again.

"You first." he said.

Kitty grinned, sometimes Lance could be so sweet, she really liked this side of him.

"Oh, well I was just going to ask about where you've gone to look for a job." she shrugged it off, it wasn't really her business anyways. She flicked her bangs behind her ear with her hand and they fell back just as fast.

Lance smiled he was enjoying Kitty's interest in his life, it felt right to him somehow.

"A couple of fast food places and that clothing store across from that new dinner place across the street. None of them seemed that interested in hiring me, no that they gave me any clue as to why." Kitty looked at him thoughtfully. Lance glanced at her and noticed.

"What is it?"

Kitty hopped up from her seat on the bench.

"Stand up for a second."

Lance raised his eyebrow at her.

"Come on stand up Lance!" she smiled at him.

Lance stood up a bit weirded out but he was enjoying the attention she was giving him so he didn't say anything in protest.

"Now turn around."

"Why?"

"Lance." Kitty said placing her hands on her hips and giving him a slight frown.

"Okay, Okay." he complied to her request with a sigh. Kitty reached up and pulled his vest down and off of him quickly.

"Hey! What do you think you're….doing?" Lance turned around in protest but quickly faded off when Kitty ran her hands through his hair and freed the hair he usually kept behind his ears. Her fingers tickled the side of his face and Lance liked the feeling.

"There." Kitty smiled up at him, proud of her improvements.

"Try going to the interview looking like that." She gave him a glance over from head to toe, which made Lance shift uncomfortably as he stood in front of her.

"Lance do you own another pair of jeans?" she asked him.

"Yeah I've got three other pairs – why?" he asked.

"Without holes at the knees?" she asked with a smirk.

"No." he confessed. "Don't tell me I have to change my whole look just to get a job." he sighed.

"No, but most employers do like it when you dress up for interviews." Kitty explained.

--_Buzz_--

Lance looked down at his watch. ( 10:45) He needed to head to his interview. Kitty glanced from his watch to his face silently. Lance looked up at her.

"Guess I have to go."

"Yeah, I should like probably head to the salon. Maybe the girls will show up for the appointment, then I can yell at them for ditching me." she said picking up her bags. She shifted her weight between her legs awkwardly.

"Thanks for the help pretty Kitty." Lance said with a smile. Kitty flicked her bangs and looked to the fountain trying not to draw attention to the fact that she was blushing.

"Like no problem. Good luck." she said with a smile and started on her way.

They waved to each other and headed off in opposite directions.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

**10: 45**

**Lower Level **

After wasting several minutes arguing over getting food with Freddy and Jamie, who was also hungry, the group decided to split up and leave Freddy, Jamie, and Rahne at the food court. Amara gave Rahne some money so they could get some smoothies and a snack each. Freddy wasn't thrilled with being told how much he could get but he stayed quiet after Amara threatened not to pay for him at all. The other four headed out to check the other end of the mall out.

"Are ve sure it is a good idea leaving those two alone with him?" Kurt asked as they walked away.

"Who knows man," Evan said shrugging.

"They'll be fine fur-ball, it's not like Freddy's going to eat them or anything," Tabitha said heading into a clothing store. The boys stopped at the entrance of the pink store and glanced up at the name.

"Ve vill just vait out here," Kurt said awkwardly. Amara and Tabitha turned back around at them grinning.

"Sure thing boys, but you'll have a better view from inside." Tabitha teased them barely holding back her laughter.

"Whatever, we're gonna go check out some other stores. We'll catch up later," Evan said rolling his eyes and pushing Kurt along with him as they headed away from the lingerie store.

Amara giggled as they watched them leave.

"You don't really think Kitty came in here do you?" she said raising her eyebrows and giving her friend a questioning grin.

"Of course not, but it did get rid of those two didn't it. Now we can look for Kitty alone and actually have some fun while we do. Come on." Tabitha grinned and grabbed Amara by the wrist leading her out of the store.

**The ****Food Court**

"Here you go, have a nice day," the cashier said handing the smoothies to Rahne and Freddy. Rahne handed Jamie his.

"Thanks." Rahne said as they walked away sipping each of their drinks.

"So where do you guys want to go next?" Freddy asked scanning the food court from left to right. The two young x-men looked at each and shrugged.

"We don't have much money," Rahne said looking around with Freddy, "We could each get a cookie." She pointed at the small stand at the corner at the end of the line of restaurants that sold large cookies and cookie pies.

"I want chocolate with M&M's." Jamie said.

"A walnut crunch would be nice." Freddy said licking his lips.

"Okay then, come on." Rahne said heading over and pulling out her wallet again. She bought Jamie and Freddy their choices and a chocolate chip cookie for herself.

"Hey can we go there when we are done?" Jamie asked pointing to a store across the walkway. Freddy smiled and gulped down his cookie in one bite.

"Fine with me." he said not even waiting for the others to get done with theirs.

"Hey wait for me!" Jamie shouted running to keep up with Freddy.

"Jamie! Hey wait up you two!" Rahne ran after them eating her cookie quickly.

**The City of ****Bayville**

Pietro headed around town looking at the usual brotherhood hangouts and any other place he thought Lance might have decided to go. He was getting frustrated racing from the park to the movies- to fast food places- to the arcade with no sign of Lance or his beat up jeep. Pietro figured Lance might have gone to the abandoned construction yard the boys often used as a training ground at night when they were bored that was on the other side of town. He figured since he would have to run by the Mall anyways he might as well stop by and see how the others were doing on their quest to find the kitten.

**10: 47**

**Bayville Sunstone Mall **

Kitty decided she had some spare time to look around in the Mall before heading over to the salon so she headed to one of her favorite stores in the Mall figuring she could at least try to enjoy the day even if the girls had ditched her.

**Upper Level **

"Hey how come we skipped that store?" Bobby asked looking over at a store several teenagers were coming out of.

"That's a guy's clothing store Bobby." Jubilee explained shaking her head.

"Then how come girls are going in and out of it too?" he asked.

"They're with guys." Jubilee, Rogue, and Ray all answered him at the same time.

The group had been going in most every store they came to with no luck of finding Kitty.

"This is dumb yo. I can't believe you idiots lost your kitten like this." Todd said hopping on the railing.

"Remind us where Lance is again?" Ray said sarcastically.

"Hey that's different, we weren't with him when he got lost." Todd said hopping down in front of the group.

"Keep moving." Rogue glared at him. They went through a few more stores silently.

"Do you think she went to the music place?" Jubilee asked as they were approaching the huge entrance for it.

"It's possible." Rogue said knowing Kitty liked the store.

"Cool, I love this place!" Bobby said earning himself several wide-eyed questioning stares. "What?" he shrugged, "It's the best place to get CD's and stuff."

They headed toward the store, trying to contain their laughter checking the stores that were on their way as they went.

**10:48**

**Outside the Mall **

Pietro made it to the mall parking lot and started heading toward the door when something caught his attention. He stopped to look and quickly jumped behind the closest vehicle he could. He peeked his head around it carefully surveying the situation in front of him with care.

"No way!" His eyes went to a familiar beat up green jeep parked between two white cars a few rows away from him. And then they moved on to the person standing beside the jeep, obviously glaring with anger, though Pietro couldn't really tell since the guy's eyes where hidden by red lens sunglasses.

"Shit." Pietro cursed under his breath at the teenager who was now staunching towards the mall entrance. Pietro darted toward the door and inside to find the others and warn them that Lance was at the mall – which he thought was very strange- and about Summers.

**The Music Store **

The Music Place was the coolest hangout in the mall. It was also the most popular store in Bayville. A two-story music store that sold anything and everything that dealt with music and stocked every genre. There were rooms in the back of the upstairs for karaoke and columns that had music listening stations with headphones. The store was known for never playing a song completely through- instead it had short clips of tons of favorite songs and of course whatever was at the top of the charts for that week that it would play. The other cool thing about it was when someone was listening to a song at one of the column stations the speaker system would then play a clip of that song.

Rogue, Jubilee, Sam, Bobby, Ray, and Todd entered the place and decided to split up into two groups to search the store faster since it was a huge store. Rogue and Jubilee headed right with Todd along the upstairs wrap around level and Sam, Bobby, and Ray went left.

"Come on Amara, let's check in here!" Tabitha said running in the main entrance to the store at the bottom level. She headed straight for the stairs thinking they could look at the whole store from up there, plus she wanted to check out some new music.

"Okay." Amara was happy to follow Tabitha in the store, there was a song she just loved and wanted to listen to while they where here.

The boys went towards the column that extended up through the floor level to the upper level. Bobby stopped and put on the headphones.

"Bobby, we are supposed to be looking for Kitty." Ray said looking around them. There were a few girls looking through CD's and posters, but not the one they needed to find.

"Dude it's fine, besides it isn't like we can get her if we do find her, we're suppose to be back at the mansion." Bobby replied surfing through the song catalogue.

Sam shifted his weight uneasily as he looked from Bobby towards a pair of girls that kept looking at the three of them and giggling.

-- _burn, baby, burn _

_You're all I have in this teenage twilight _

_Your golden hair and pale blue eyes _

_But through all the days and the sleepless nights _

_We have never been satisfied _

_Almost to the point of no return _

_Everything will burn, baby, burn_**-- **

The boys' attentions were shifted by the song on the speakers across the way at Amara who was dancing at the other upstairs column with the headphones on and Tabitha laughing right beside her. They didn't seem to notice the boys watching them. Bobby let out an evil laugh, grinning he clicked play on the song he had chosen.

The song playing of the speaker system suddenly changed,

-- _Ice ice baby _

_Ice ice baby _

_All right stop collaborate and listen _

_Ice is back with my brand new invention_—

Ray and Sam turned to the very pleased Bobby with disbelieving looks and sighed. Amara and Tabitha noticed the song change, looked over, and saw the boys.

"What are they doing here?" Amara asked.

"And what is with this song?" Tabitha said partly disgusted.

Sam couldn't help notice the girls that had been giggling at them were sharing the feelings of himself, Ray and Tabitha. He decided to fix the problem and scanned through for a better song while Bobby was distracted.

-- _You can raise her up a lady _

_but there's one thing you jus can't avoid _

_Ladies love country boys_--

Sam grinned. Ray and Bobby stared at him.

"You have got to be kidding." Ray said.

"Oh, no." Tabitha said covering her eyes and shaking her head. Amara was holding her stomach laughing at her friends.

Sam just looked over at the girls he had been watching watch them who were now smiling and giggling at him again. Ray and Bobby followed his gaze with interest.

"Oh, yeah." Sam said grinning as his friends looked at him in disbelief.

SMACK! Rogue hit Sam on the head from behind.

"What do yah three think yah doing?" she asked impatiently fuming at them with her arms crossed. She had made Todd and Jubilee turn around with her as soon as Bobby's 'theme' song had started playing. Bobby swallowed nervously,

"Uh…we…uh.." he couldn't think of a decent excuse.

The two girls walked by the group glancing at Sam as they went by and giggled inwards at one another once they were past. Sam followed them with his eyes and was hit on the head again by Jubilee who was sharing Rogue's glare. He raised his eyes brows in shock and rubbed his head trying to think of what to say but nothing came out of his gapping mouth.

The speaker system changed songs again,

-- _Get this party started _

_I'm comin' up _

_So you better you better _

_Get this party started _

_Get this party started _

_Makin' my connection _

_As I enter the room _

_Everybody's chillin' as _

_I set up the groove _

_Pumpin' up the volume _

_With this brand new beat _

_Everybody's dancin' and _

_They're dancin' for me_ --

The group looked back across the way at Tabitha and Amara who where leaning on the railing together waving at them. Everyone broke out into laughter.

**10:55**

**Lower Level **

"Hey look man, it's your girlfriend." Evan said teasingly poking Kurt in his side as they walked past the music store. Kurt looked over and saw Amanda, his crush from school, looking through some CD's along a stand close to the entrance. She had her back to them, so she didn't notice them watching her. Kurt was glad, he didn't know what to say to her, plus she was shopping with a friend so he didn't want to bother her.

"Excuse us." a female voice said from behind them making them both jump and turn around. There were two blonde girls standing behind them. The taller one had her hands on her hips and was scowling at them. The other one was just giving them an awkward smile. It was the tallest who talked to them though,

"You're in the way, mind moving?" she asked nodding to the music store. The boys silently separated and let the girls pass. The younger one turned around and mouthed a 'thank you' at them as they went into the store.

"Hey, maybe Kitty went in here." Evan suggested smiling at his own brilliance.

"Ja! It is like her favorite store!" Kurt smiled back.

"Dude you've been spending to much time around the cat, you're starting to talk like her man." Evan said patting Kurt on the back as they went in.

-- _Say a prayer for the youth of __America_

_God bless the youth __America_

_I can't stand their sight anymore, _

_All the dead kids lying on your door, _

_And you don't hear a word they're tellin ya. _

_You're all dead. You're all dead... You've been wasted. _

_Don't believe a thing they're selling ya. _

_They got a carrot on a stick in front of ya. _

_Take it back from a hurting child, _

_You know they can't even use it now, _

_And it was yours in the first place anyway. _

_You're all dead. You're all dead... You've been wasted._--

"I don't get this song." Kurt commented. Evan stared at him in disbelief but couldn't respond as they were interrupted by taps on each of their shoulders.

"Hey you two what are you guys up to?" Amanda greeted them with a warm smile.

"Hello Amanda." Kurt said running his hand through his hair awkwardly.

"Hi." Evan greeted, "Who's your friend?" he asked looking past Amanda at the girl who was shuffling her feet shyly that had been with Amanda looking at CD's.

"This is Kandice, she's in my english class." she introduced her friend grabbing her forward towards the group. "Kandice, this is Evan and Kurt, they go to school with us too."

"Hi." the girl said softly leaning toward Amanda.

"So what are you guys up to?" Amanda asked hoping her friend would ease up if they kept talking.

"Oh you know, just hanging. Right Kurt?" Evan said patting Kurt on the shoulder to get him to say something. It wasn't like he was the one with a crush on Amanda.

"Oh….um…ja…just hanging." Kurt spoke awkwardly. Evan sighed to himself mentally wondering if Lance and Kitty weren't the only two that should be hooked up today.

"So you two lookin for anything special?" Kandice asked softly looking at Evan. This took him off guard, but he recovered quickly.

"No, nothing special." Evan smiled at her.

"Ve need to find Kitty, have you seen her?" Kurt asked somehow getting his voice back. Amanda's smile seemed to fade, only Evan noticed.

"Oh, no I haven't. If I do, I'll be sure to tell her though. Come on Kandice, let's go." she said grabbing her friend by the arm. "Bye." she said over her shoulder at the boys. Kandice looked over her shoulder as her friend dragged her away,

"It was nice to meet you." she said loud enough for them to hear her. Evan and Kurt both waved as they left.

"Real smooth fuzz-ball." Evan joked.

"Vat did I do?" Kurt asked confused.

"Nothing, that's the point."

"Huh?"

"Dude, you had the perfect chance to ask her out or just talk with her and you completely choked."

"But I don't have time for that now, ve have to find Kitty." Kurt said trying to defend his shyness.

"Oh come on, a few minutes of conversation isn't gonna make a difference, but now she thinks you like Kitty."

"Who thinks I like Kitty?" Kurt asked, still confused.

"Amanda."

"Vat! Vhy vould she think that?"

"Never mind dude, you're hopeless." Evan replied heading toward the stairs.

**the ****Music Place-**** top level **

Tabitha and Amara joined the others on the other side enjoying the music playing.

"Come on Rogue, lighten up and enjoy the moment." Tabitha tried to coax the goth girl into dancing with the others as they continued to surf for more songs to play.

"Ah don't feel like it, besides we should be looking for Kitty." Rogue said. Ray clicked over to one of his favorite songs and let it play.

"Hey look it is Kurt and Evan!" Bobby said pointing over the railing. Everyone joined him at the railing and watched as Evan and Kurt started talking with the two girls.

"They are definitely having more fun than we are." Bobby said, the others nodded in agreement. Rogue didn't look pleased.

"Where are Jamie and Rahne?!" she asked realizing that they weren't with the girls or the boys downstairs. Amara and Tabitha exchanged glances.

"We left them at the food court with Freddy." Amara admitted feeling guilty for the decision.

"Yah did what!?" Rogue looked like she was gonna throw them over the railing.

"Relax Rogue, they're fine." Tabitha said trying to calm her down.

"I have a better question for you guys," Ray interrupted getting the attention of everyone. "Where did Todd hop off to?" he asked looking around and realizing he wasn't around. The others scanned around them and didn't see any sign of him either.

"This just couldn't get any worse." Rogue sighed into her hands sitting down, leaning against the column. Amara squatted down beside her and patted her on the back.

"It will be okay, how much trouble could he get into?" she said thinking this would help, but the groans from Rogue and Tabitha told another story.

**10: 58**

**the ****Music Place-**** lower level **

Kitty was sifting through some posters in the back of the store that were near the floor. She had made herself comfortable and placed her bags beside her as she sat on the floor. She didn't find anything she liked so she went to go listen to some songs at one of the column stands. She typed in one her favorite artists and laughed when she saw a song she liked. She placed the headphones and clicked play, dancing and singing along with the song as it played.

--_Remember the feelings, remember the day _

_My stone heart was breaking _

_My love ran away _

_This moments I knew I would be someone else _

_My love turned around and I fell _

_Be my bad boy, be my man _

_Be my week-end lover _

_But don't be my friend _

_You can be my bad boy _

_But understand _

_That I don't need you in my life again _

_Won't you be my bad boy, be my man _

_Be my week-end lover _

_But don't be my friend _

_You can be my bad boy _

_But understand _

_That I want you in my life again _

_Yes I want you in my life again_ --

**top level**

"I know this song!" Tabitha exclaimed after the third verse, "Where have I heard it before?" she asked the others. The boys all shrugged at her. Rogue lifted her head, she had the same thought as Tabitha and was trying to figure it out for herself.

"Ugh, I hate Cascada." they heard Evan say by the stairs and saw him and Kurt heading toward them. They waved at the group. "Hey, any sign of Kitty?" Evan asked.

Tabitha snapped her fingers just as the light clicked on in Rogue's head.

"Kitty!" they both said together, looking at one another with huge grins. The others raised their eyebrows and glanced at them curiously.

"What about Kitty?" Sam asked very confused.

"She listens to Cascada and plays this song all the time." Rogue explained standing up.

"Yeah, that's where we know it from." Tabitha smiled.

"Kitty." Bobby said.

"Yes, Kitty, didn't you know she loves dance music." Tabitha replied.

"No! Kitty! Look!" Bobby said pointing down into the store over the railing. Everyone ran to it and looked where he was pointing. Sure enough, Kitty was down there in front of a column console with headphones on dancing to the music and singing along.

--_ Won't you be my bad boy, be my man _

_Be my week-end lover _

_But don't be my friend _

_You can be my bad boy _

_But understand _

_That I want you in my life again _

_Yes I want you in my life again_--

"I don't think she's singing the right words." Amara said, comparing the music from the speakers to what Kitty was singing.

"You'd think she'd know them since she owns the CD." Ray commented. Tabitha gasped which shocked everyone and made them jump and look at her as she squealed.

"She's singing about Rocky!"

They all watched and listened to Kitty sing rest of the song, and paid close attention to the lyrics she was changing.

"You're right." they agreed and laughed with her.

"Oh, man where is my camera when I need it." Evan commented watching his teammate dance.

Suddenly the music on the speakers changed,

-- _do da-ah root do doo _

_Inspector Gadget _

_ooh ohh _

_Inspector Gadget_--

The familiar cartoon song filled the store making the group search for its origins. They didn't need to look too far, at the console right next to Kitty stood the culprit that was making everyone in the store stop and stare.

"Dude, it's Forge!" Bobby exclaimed smiling at the others, only Sam mirrored his smile. The others were trying to get the song out of their heads.

**11:00**

**lower level **

Kitty stopped dancing when her song was over and removed her headphones in time to hear the 'do da-ah root do doo'. Laughing at the song choice, she glanced at the console on the other side of the column and couldn't believe her eyes.

"Forge!?, Is that like you?!" she asked excitedly. Forge looked over toward the sound of his name.

"Hey Kitty, how are you?" he asked with a smile.

"Don't ask." she said flicking her bangs and sighing. He tilted his head at her looking concerned.

"Bad day or did something happen?" he asked.

"A bit of both I guess," she answered, "I was suppose to be shopping with the girls but they ditched me. I was hoping to meet up with them at the salon but I don't think I'll get there in time now. Not that I really want to walk all the way by myself."

"Hmm," Forge touched his chin in thought, "Well the salon is right next to Radio World, I could walk with you if you'd like." he offered. "I was going to go there anyways."

"Really that would be like so nice, thank you." Kitty smiled.

"Okay then, let's go." he said and jokingly made a bow and offered her his arm. She laughed and hesitated, but he gave her an encouraging wink, and she finally gave in and placed her free arm around his. They headed out of the store together laughing.

**top level **

Bobby was explaining to Tabitha who Forge was and how they had met after he had hitchhiked back from middleverse with Nightcrawler one day and how he loves to build machines and robots so much that he sometimes comes to the mansion to create or repair robots for the Danger Room or test out some other random invention of his. Everyone else was enjoying the story, even though they already knew it. And Kurt didn't mind filling in some of his experience in meeting him either. No one was, unfortunately, keeping an eye on their friends below and didn't notice it when they left.

Suddenly Bobby was knocked over and a gust of air made all their hair fly back as if it had been blown by some invisible wind. They all blinked and saw Pietro standing in front of them, and he didn't look happy, in fact, he looked panicked.

"We-have-ahugeproblem-stupidassholeScott-ishere-andhefoundLance'sjeepoutintheparkinglot-anddoesnotlookhappy-andhe-is-al readyinside-we-have-to-find-LanceandKitty-before-he--and-I-for-one-donotwanttoletthat-good-for-nothing- summers-spoiltheday-becausethat-wouldmakethis-wholedamnmorning-ahugewaste-andwell-that-justisn't-gonnahappen-doyouhearme-or I'mgonna-beat--mypresoustimeandI-"

Rogue cut him off by covering his mouth and he glared at her, she had no problem in giving him one back.

"We didn't understand one single word of that suga, mind repeating it so we can?" she asked, removing her hand. Pietro took a deep breath before beginning again, he really hated to repeat himself.

"I said your stupid team leader is going to ruin everything! He's here, he knows Lance is too because he was outside looking at his jeep. He came in here, and trust me he isn't happy." The others exchanged worried glances.

"We need to find Kitty and Lance and get them the hell out of here quick!" Pietro exclaimed.

"But ve found Kitty." Kurt said pointing toward the lower level. The others turned and looked down.

"Correction. We found Kitty, now we need to find her again." Ray said.

"Where the hell did she go?" Pietro and Tabitha asked together.

"Yah got me on that one." Rogue replied, this was becoming tiresome.

"Oh, I know!" Amara exclaimed, "Maybe she headed to the salon, we had an appointment there, remember?"

"Amara you are a genius!" Tabitha shouted hugging her. "Come on let's head there now. The rest of you find Lance." she said grabbing Rogue and Amara and heading down the stairs. The boys all stared at one another as they watched the girls leave them alone together. They all looked at one another silently, then a thought popped into Pietro's head.

"Where are Freddy and Todd?" he asked the others. The boys exchanged nervous glances.

"Freddy should be at the food court, I think Todd went there too." Bobby said, remembering what Tabitha and Amara had told Rogue about Freddy and lying about Todd.  
Pietro sighed. _'Great, now I get to drag Freddy away from food. I did not sign on for all of this. Lance is going to owe me big time after today,'_ He thought to himself as the boys headed down the stairs and out of the store together.

* * *

**Song Credits:**

Forge's song: Inspector Gadget tv theme song

Bobby's song: Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby

Sam's song: Trace Adkins – Ladies Love Country Boys

Amara's song: Ash- Burn Baby Burn _with an extra "burn verse at the top" _

Kitty's song: Cascada- Bad Boy _with the lyrics I changed._

Attention grabbing song used by Tabitha: Pink- Get this party started

After Evan and Kurt come in: Birdbrain -Youth of America


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 **

**11:00**

**lower level **

Rahne, Freddy, and Jamie were enjoying their time together. They had gone into the toy store that Jamie had pointed to after they bought cookies and were currently racing remote control cars in the track the store had set up at the front of the store.

"I'm winning!" Jamie exclaimed while the other two continued to race with him.

"Oh yeah, just you wait." Rahne said focusing on her controls making her green car bump into Jamie's spinning it around in a complete circle.

"Awesome." Fred said, speeding his car up and ramming Rahne's car into the sidewall. They quickly forgot about racing and switched to playing their odd version of bumper cars.

"Hey! slow down will you that hurts! Let go, I'm coming!" a girl's voice caught the three mutants' attention. They turned toward the store entrance and watched Todd holding Jubilee's wrist, pulling her along with him quickly as he hopped passed.

They stopped driving their cars and stood staring at the entrance for awhile. Freddy looked down at Rahne and Jamie. Jamie looked up at Rahne. Rahne looked up at Freddy who looked at Rahne, who looked at Jamie, who looked at Freddy who looked at Jamie.

"Think we should follow them?" Jamie asked the older mutants. Freddy shrugged and looked at Rahne. Rahne sighed and bent down, trading her drink which she had placed on the floor by her feet with the remote control.

"Come on. Let's see what is going on." she said walking with the boys out of the toy store.

**Baxter Bookstore **

Lance walled out of the store frowning. 'That was pointless.' he thought to himself as he headed toward the exit.

He walked out of the mall and to his jeep and reached into his vest pocket for his keys. He stopped and stared down in confusion.

"Huh?" his thoughts suddenly jumped to a certain girl who had taken off his vest. "Just great, I hope she still has it and didn't throw it away or something." he mumbled aloud to himself climbing in his jeep and leaning over the passenger seat, opened the glove compartment and ran his fingers along the rim of the top.

"Gotcha." he grinned with relief as he pulled out his spare key that he kept tapped in the glove compartment for emergency's. He turned the ignition and pulled out heading toward the salon, hoping Kitty was still there.

**11:11**

**downtown Bayville-- a random street **

Freddy, Jamie, and Rahne made there way across the street from the mall but quickly lost sight of Todd and Jubilee.

"I wonder where they went to?" Rahne said leading the boys down the sidewalk by all the shops, checking in the alleyways and glancing in windows as they went.

**Bayville Sunstone Mall **

"Eleven, eleven. Make a wish everyone." Bobby said glancing at his watch as he and the boys were coming up to the food court.

"I wish you'd shut up, better yet disappear." Pietro remarked. Bobby scowled at the sliver haired mutant.

"Too bad, you said it aloud. Now it won't come true, so sad for you." he smirked.

"Dude, shut up." Evan turned round and looked at Bobby.

"What?, He started it." Bobby said defensively pointing at Pietro.

"But your comeback sucked man." Evan said. Bobby glanced at his best friends for support but both Sam and Ray were nodding in agreement with Evan. Bobby frowned and clenched his fists.

"So vhere are the others?" Kurt asked trying to change the subject before someone decided to start a fight.

"I'll zip around." Pietro suggested but was pulled back just has he was about to start off by Evan grabbing his collar.

"No way, there are way to many people around here." he said.

"Well how do you expect we find them huh? If we just walk around like this it will take all day!" Pietro argued swiping Evan's hand away.

"Why don't we just call Rahne on her cell phone." Ray suggested. Everyone looked at him.

"Anyone got one?" Pietro asked. He received shakes of the head in response from them all.

"Wait! I have Kitty's!" Kurt spoke up suddenly remembering the phone he had in his pocket.

"How come all the girls have cell phones and we don't?" Bobby asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"I have mein own and so does Scott." Kurt corrected him.

"Like he said fuzz-ball, all the girls have one." Pietro remarked with a grin earning a scowl from Kurt. The others snickered under their breaths.

"No, it is because they are on the main team and we are just new recruits." Sam said.

"Hey man, I don't have one either." Evan corrected.

"Oh man," Kurt exhaled in disbelief. The others switched their attention back to him.

"What now?" they all asked together.

"The battery is dead." Kurt replied, I guess Kitty didn't check to make sure her phone was charging when she plugged it in.

"What a ditz." Bobby said.

"Well that's just great, now how are we gonna find them?" Pietro shouted, his frustration getting the better of him. Sam looked around while the others bickered back and forth.

"Hey guys," he interrupted them, "Where did Jubilee go?" he asked them realizing she hadn't left with the girls from the music store and wasn't with them now. The others looked around as well.

"Anyone else getting a bad feeling about all of this?" Bobby asked them as they exchanged worried glances with one another.

**downtown Bayville -- a random street **

Tabitha, Rogue, and Amara crossed the street leaving the mall parking lot. They had seen both Lance's and Scott's vehicles as they walked out and were wondering if the plan was going to come to a screeching halt.

"Shades needs to lighten up. What's his problem with Lance anyways?" Tabitha asked. Amara shrugged at her, both looked at Rogue.

"What are yah lookin at me for? I don't know why they can't get along beyond us being on opposite teams."

"Yeah, but the boys aren't taking orders from Mystique or Magneto anymore since they disappeared. And if just being a member of the brotherhood is a crime then why doesn't Shades pick on me?" Tabitha asked.

Rogue took a minute to think about her question. Tabitha had a point, she had left the x-men for the brotherhood, if Scott could deal with that than he should be able to give the brotherhood a decent chance. Then again, the brotherhood still got into trouble around town, played pranks at school, and constantly challenged the x-men to duels. Though it was more Pietro's taunting that they had to deal with now than the whole group, it wasn't like the boys were innocent victims of Scott's and the others hatred. Still, Rogue had no problem in dealing with the boys without threats and insults.

"It must be one of those guy things," Amara interrupted her thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Tabitha and Rogue asked with curiosity.

"You know, like what the boys are always doing," she started to explain, clearly talking about her fellow teammates, "They are constantly picking fights with one another and challenging one another with their powers trying to prove who is stronger and a better leader of the group."

"Better leaders huh?" Tabitha thought about it for a second. "You might just be on to something Amara, but I don't think they have much to worry about.

"Huh? Why?" Amara asked slightly confused.

"Because neither of them are that great of leaders." Rogue commented, answering for Tabitha understanding exactly what she meant and agreeing with her one hundred percent.

**downtown Bayville – the salon **

Kitty walked inside, jingling the bells that were attached to the door.

"Hello dear, are you just walking in or do you already have an appointment." A woman with short red hair asked from behind the front counter. She was filing her nails smiling at Kitty, who couldn't help but smile back.

"Well me and my friends had an appointment set up at eleven, I know I'm late, but I was wondering if they had shown up." Kitty explained. The woman typed something into her keyboard and checked her computer screen.

"Under Pryde?" the woman asked glancing up at Kitty. Kitty nodded.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear but no one showed up for that appointment. You'll have to reschedule since we only hold them over for five minutes passed the scheduled appointment. Would you like to do that now?" the woman asked.

"No thank you. I don't know where the others are or what we'll be doing later." Kitty replied with a sigh and headed out the door.

"I guess they must still be back at the mall." she sighed aloud, she stood in front of the salon and looked around her. She wondered if Forge was still at the radio store, at least he was someone to hang with, she didn't want to spend the rest of the afternoon alone.

"Hey Kitty!" a voice shouted from behind her, she turned around in shock.

"Lance?! Like what are you doing here?" she asked giving him a strange look. Lance paused in front of her and leaned down on his knees catching his breath. He had parked down the street and seen Kitty come out of the salon and then ran all the way down the sidewalk to catch her. She waited for him to answer her.

"I think you have something of mine Kit-Kat." he said standing up.

"Why do people call me that." she exhaled slightly annoyed by the nickname.

"Because your sweet, just like candy." he laughed, then cut off quickly realizing what he had just said. Kitty blushed and flicked her bangs.

"Gee thanks." she teased him as he looked away in embarrassment. "So like what is it I'm suppose to have?" she asked him.

"Huh?" Lance looked back at her, then he remembered why he had run after her. "Oh…uh…I think you took my vest with you." he explained running his hand through his hair.

"Like what?!" she raised an eyebrow at him, then realized he was right and looked into her shopping bag and saw that his vest was resting on top of her jeans. "Oh, like wow, I'm sorry I didn't mean to take it. Hope you didn't leave anything important in the pockets like your keys or something." she said pulling it out and handing it to him.

"Yeah, actually I did." Lance admitted pulling it back on, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys and jingled them for her to see.

"Oh no, like I'm so sorry Lance!" she said, and Lance couldn't help but notice that she honestly looked like she felt guilty for what she did.

"Uh..Hey no big, really, I keep a spare in the glove box." he said, trying to make her smile again.

"Really? You're not mad?" she asked him.

"No way pretty-Kitty. Just don't tell the guys about the key and we're even." he smiled down at her, she smiled back at him. 'wow' he thought to himself.

"Deal." Kitty squealed and hugged him, catching him off guard.

"Uh…Kitty…" he began and she pulled away. Lance felt taken more aback from her immediate withdrawal than her hug and shrugged his feelings off and looked away. Kitty stared up at him wondering what was wrong. 'maybe he didn't want to be hugged…' Her thoughts were cut off by a strange rumbling sound.

"Lance,….is that your stomach or an earthquake?" she asked giving him a teasing smirk. Lance grabbed his stomach in embarrassment.

"I guess I'm hungry." he admitted. 'probably since I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday.' he thought to himself. Kitty tried not to show her worry on her face, she knew that money was tight for guys and wondered if that meant they didn't have enough food at home.

"I'm starving too." she spoke up and looked around at the different places along each side of the street where they were standing. "Want to grab a bite or something, my treat, unless you have to head out to another interview or something."

Lance stared at her not sure how to respond. 'Is she asking me to eat with her… as in a date?' he wondered.

"It's okay if you don't want to," Kitty said after he didn't respond looking away, "I'd understand…"

"No, I…..uh…I want to….uh, I mean, sure why not, I got time. What are you up for?"

Kitty looked at the Dinner across the street.

"The Rockin Roller Dinner is new, want to check it out?" she asked.

"Is that a joke?" Lance asked in disbelief. Kitty wasn't sure what he meant by his question.

"How about Granite Tower, at least it won't be as embarrassing to walk into." Lance suggested looking down the street where the restaurant was. Kitty thought for a second and laughed.

"Really Lance, is it worse than all those rock your world puns you make?" Kitty teased.

"This from the girl who makes jokes about just passing through?" he teased back making a 'lead the way jester' for her to go first.

"I guess not," Kitty giggled taking his arm instead and walking beside him to the restaurant. Neither of them said anything as they walked, both were enjoying the moment to themselves and silently thinking to themselves how lucky it was that the other girls had ditched Kitty.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**11:12**

**downtown Bayville -- a random street **

"The plan isn't going so well is it?" Amara asked.

"Whose idea was it to ditch anyways?" Rogue asked trying to remember, "Ah can't believe we left Kitty like that."

"Who knew we were gone that long." Tabitha commented, "She must have changed fast to get done and leave that quick."

"She probably only tired on one outfit, came out and saw we were gone and left." Rogue thought aloud.

"You think?" Tabitha asked.

"It's what Ah would have done." Rogue answered. The others agreed with her silently.

"OH MY GOSH! NO WAY!" Tabitha gasped making Amara and Rogue stop along side her.

"What now?" Rogue asked.

"Look!" Tabitha exclaimed still in shock at what she was seeing.

The girls looked across the street where Tabitha was looking and gasped themselves.

"Ah don't believe it." Rogue muttered.

Across the street the girls watched in disbelief as Lance and Kitty walked arm in arm toward the entrance of Granite Tower. They were speechless when they saw Lance open the door for Kitty leading her inside the restaurant.

The three girls stared, wide-eyed, at one another.

"Come on," Tabitha said not wanting to miss the show, "lets watch them."

"Wait a minute." Rogue said as she noticed Lance and Kitty being seated at the table by the window across from where they were standing. "Let's watch from here, who knows how Kitty will react if she sees us."

Tabitha considered this and sighed knowing Rogue was right.

"How about we watch from inside?" Amara suggested. Rogue and Tabitha turned to her about to ask her if she had been paying attention when they noticed Amara wasn't looking toward Kitty and Lance but behind them, they turned around to see where she was looking.

"Amara!" Tabitha exclaimed.

"I know, I'm a genius," Amara finished Tabitha's thought laughing, "Come on lets get a booth by the window." she said leading the way inside the Rockin Roller Diner.

**Bayville Sunstone Mall **

The boys continued to look for Freddy and the others with no luck.

"Hey Pietro," Evan started pausing as he reconsidered what he was about to ask, "Why don't you go check the parking lot again just to see if Scott and Lance are still here?"

Pietro looked at Evan with a blank expression, he was getting tired from all the running he was doing and knew he needed to eat soon or he wouldn't be able to run, which was not a thought he wanted to dwell on.

"Fine." he sighed and zipped off.

"Vhere could they be?" Kurt asked getting back to the subject of finding the others.

"Really you'd think a guy like Freddy would stand out." Bobby commented.

"I don't think they are here anymore." Ray said.

"Huh?" Sam and Bobby said together.

"Vat do you mean?" Kurt asked.

"Look." Ray said pointing past the group to a pair of people handing out small pieces of paper to people. The boys took a second to take in what they were seeing. There was a girl wearing a poofy pink skirt with a white button up blouse and pink scarf around her neck. The other person was wearing an ice cream cone suit with a sign hanging over them that read:

-Rockin Roller Diner-

-Grand Opening-

-All week long- Trade in a coupon for a free milk shake or malt of your choice!-

"Do you really think that's where they are?" Kurt asked unsure about the idea of leaving the mall.

"Would a guy like Freddy really pass up free food?" Bobby asked, he agreed with Ray.

A familiar gust of wind switched their attentions away. Pietro stood in front of them, looking partially exhausted.

"Lance-isn't-here-anymore-guys." he informed them.

"Just great." Ray said.

"Perfect." Evan sighed.

"What about Scott?" Sam asked. Pietro nodded the affirmative.

"Then let's get out of here quick." Bobby said knowing that if they got caught by Scott here there was going to be trouble, he and Sam were on probation for damaging the danger room simulator and Ray was suppose to be standing with Jubilee to bring up his physics grade.

"We can't leave, we-have-to-find-Freddy-and-the-others." Pietro said quickly.

"They aren't here man." Evan said, Pietro looked at him confused.

"Where are they then?" Pietro asked. They all pointed toward the girl and ice cream cone person handing out coupons.

'Perfect, now I can get some food.' Pietro thought and smiled. He looked at Kurt.

"Come on blue boy, do your thing and take us there." he said not up for the walk.

"No way man!" Evan shouted.

"Ja, No Vay! It's too public!" Kurt agreed, though he had another reason for not wanting to teleport them other than not wanting to be seen by people.

He hadn't told anyone yet but lately he wasn't able to teleport anywhere. He made it through the week without anyone noticing because of school and the fact that Sam and Bobby had trashed the Danger Room simulator so there hadn't been any practice sessions lately. It was why he had gotten up early that morning and told the professor he would be out all day and had hitched a ride with Jean on her way out saying that he didn't want to teleport downtown because of all the people. No one would argue with him about that and he hoped that as long as he stayed in a public place for most of the weekend that noone would find out until he figured out what was wrong with his powers.

"Here guys." Sam held out a coupon for everyone. He had walked over and gotten them while the others were arguing with one another.

"Come on, let's just go. It's not that far." he said to them.

"Fine." Pietro gave in reluctantly mentally cursing Evan and Kurt for being such goodie-goods.

**11:17**

**Inside Granite Tower **

Lance stirred the ice in his water glass unable to think of anything to say to Kitty. He felt weird about letting her pay for him, he wanted it to be the other way around but knew he didn't even have enough cash on him to pay for himself, let alone the two of them. The thought didn't make him happy. He wasn't even sure if this was a date, but if it was, he definitely was not okay with letting Kitty pay for it.

Kitty wasn't sure what to say, she sat in her chair leaning back and kept looking from Lance to the other customers sitting around them, and the waiters and people passing by the window back to Lance. She wondered if this constituted as a date, she didn't have any problems with that thought, except she really would prefer it was Lance who had asked her to lunch then. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of Lance "Avalanche" Alvers actually asking her, Kitty Pryde the Shadowcat out on a date.

Lance's thoughts got the better of him and sighed, resting his head in his hand with his elbow on the table and looked away from Kitty watching the door that led to the Kitchen.

Kitty dropped her smile when she noticed Lance's change in demeanor. She couldn't help but feel a little hurt by his lack of interest. They had been fine walking in, but once they were seated and handed the menus it seemed they just claimed up and everything became all weird and they grew more nervous about speaking to one another until they both just stopped. So here they were, sitting in silence, and it seemed like something was wrong.

"Anything on your mind?" Kitty asked hesitantly hoping to draw him into a conversation slowly.

Lance moved his eyes onto Kitty. There was an awkward moment of them just staring at one another until he sat up, leaning back and took in a deep breath.

"The usual stuff, nothing special." he told her, which was basically true, for the most part, his thoughts had started shifting toward getting a job so he could afford to take Kitty out. Then maybe he could get the guys off his back. He wasn't sure which was worse, having to put up with them teasing him for liking her or them telling him he should ask her out.

It was Kitty's turn to sit quietly and stare, she couldn't help it, She didn't know what to say in response to an answer like that. She partly wished he hadn't said anything, then she could have just asked another question or something. They sat together in silence each lost in their own thoughts.

**Inside the Diner **

"They're just sitting there," Tabitha complained with a sigh. The girls had sat down at the booth directly in front of the window so they could watch Lance and Kitty across the street, not that there was much to see.

"I wonder how they met." Amara said to the other two. Tabitha and Rogue looked from one another and then to Amara and shrugged.

"Ah can't believe they aren't even talking to each other," Rogue observed a bit fed up with the whole situation. She couldn't believe that Kitty wouldn't take the chance to talk with Lance when she constantly talked about him to her when they were alone in their room.

"I didn't take Lance for the shy type." Tabitha said jokingly making the others laugh along with her. They turned back to the window hoping for things to pick up between their two friends.

A few minutes a girl in a fifty's costume pink poodle skirt carrying a round tray with three sundaes over to the girls.

"Thank you," Rogue said to the girl as she placed their deserts on the table.

"I still can't believe they are together after all our planning today." Tabitha said between spoonfuls of ice cream.

"Ah here yah," Rogue agreed, "Wonder how the boys will take it." she thought aloud.

"Oh Quickie will probably throw a fit and complain about the waste of time or something," Tabitha remarked with a smile.

"Do you think they found the others yet?" Amara asked them.

"Ah hope so," Rogue answered not wanting to think about the idea of Jamie walking around alone with just Freddy and Rahne to watch him. If anything happened she knew Logan and the Professor would have her head, and Scott would never let her forget it. The thought of more Danger Room practices didn't appeal to her either. 'Ah wonder if Hank has fixed the simulator yet?' she thought to herself.

The girls shrugged off thoughts of the others, figuring they would call if something came up and continued to eat their sundaes while watching Lance and Kitty out the window.

**11:20**

**downtown Bayville -- a random street **

"Do you think the girls have found Kitty yet?" Bobby asked the others as they crossed the street leaving the mall.

"Who knows man." Evan said with a shrug.

"I hope so," Kurt replied.

"They better have," Pietro responded. "We still need to find Lance-and-it's-already-time-for-lunch, what-if-the-kitten-decides-to-get-food-before-we-can-set-them-up?" he sighed venting his frustrations aloud.

"Where do you think he is?" Ray asked Pietro a bit annoyed with the speedsters negative attitude.

"Like-I-know," Pietro snapped.

"Relax Pietro, we'll go get the others and eat and then look for him." Evan said, he didn't looked convinced himself and wasn't thrilled that he had to be the voice of reason with Pietro.

"Sounds like a plan." Pietro said focusing on walking, no longer looking at the others. Evan was shocked that Pietro actually was listening to him and agreeing with what he said, but he kept quiet, not wanting to jinx the moment.

"I just hope Freddy hasn't eaten everything before we get there." Bobby said jokingly. The others laughed, except Pietro, who despite hating having to hang with the x-geeks alone, smirked at Bobby's remark imagining the Blob with a handful of coupons and the looks on the worker's faces as he eat all the sundaes one after the other.

**Inside Granite Tower **

"Here you are." a gently voice broke the silence making both Kitty and Lance jump. Their server was back beside their table holding their orders and smiling at them warmly. "Enjoy, let me know if you two want anything else alright." she said placing their meals down in front of them on the table, and then left them alone together.

"Hey Lance, could you like pass the pepper?" Kitty asked wanting it for her salad, but it was closer to him.

Lance grabbed the pepper shaker,

"Here you go." he said handing it to her with a grin, he couldn't help but notice that she could have easily just picked it up herself since the table was just meant for two.

Kitty smiled back at him taking the pepper and sprinkling some over her salad.

"Thanks." she said and gave him another smile before joining him in digging in.

**11:22**

**Inside the Diner **

The boys all piled into the Diner one after the other.

"Hey guys!" Tabitha shouted at them as they came in, they all turned and looked at her in surprise.

"Vat are you doing here?" Kurt asked.

"And where are the others?" the rest of the guys all asked together as they walked over in front of the booth the girls were sitting at.

"What do yah mean the others?" Rogue asked raising an eyebrow at them.

"We thought Freddy and them would be here." Sam explained.

"Yeah, I can't believe they aren't here." Evan observed joining Pietro and Ray in glancing around the restaurant. Tabitha smirked at them and laughed.

"Yeah well I know you won't believe who's just across the street," she said grinning pointing out of the window. The boys all followed the girls in looking out the window.

"No Way!" Evan and Bobby exclaimed.

"WHAT!" Pietro shouted.

"Good going guys," Ray said with a smile thinking the girls had something to do with the fact that Lance and Kitty were sitting just across the street together.

"Ja, how'd you do it?" Kurt asked.

"Where was Lance?" Sam asked.

The boys all spoke up at the same time. The girls looked at each other confused, then looked at the boys.

"We didn't do anything-" Amara started.

"We just saw them walking together-" Tabitha continued.

"And now we are watching them, not that there has been much ta see." Rogue finished.

"What does that mean?" the boys asked. Pietro slid into the booth next to Rogue, Ray down next to Amara who was next to Tabitha and Kurt sat next to Pietro.

Sam, Bobby, and Evan went and sat at the booth right behind Tabitha and the others and leaned over the top so they could still be apart of the conversation resting their knees on the bench seat.

"They're just sitting there." Amara explained.

"Neither of them has said a word to the other." Rogue said with a sigh of disappointment.

"What-do-you-mean-they-aren't-talking-to-each-other!? You-mean-to-tell-me-that-we-wasted-the-entire-day-trying-to-set-them-up-together-and-instead-they-do-it-themselves-but-they-aren't-even-speaking-with-one-another!?" Pietro exploded.

"That's exactly what Ah'm saying Quickie now simmer down." Rogue said with a grin, glancing over at Tabitha she sighed as Tabitha gave her an 'I told you so' look.

The waitress who had served the girls came back over to the table.

"Hello, can I get the rest of you anything?" she greeted them smiling. The group turned and looked at her. The boys all smiled and held up their coupons. The girl seemed a bit surprised by the sheer number of them.

"Oh, wow." she said pulling out her note pad from her skirt pocket and grabbed her pencil from behind her ear. "Alright what do you boys want for your free deserts?" she asked preparing to take the large order.

"Free?!" Tabitha looked at the boys wanting to know what the waitress meant.

"Yup, we got these coupons from the mall. You get a free desert for them." Bobby exclaimed while all the boys gave their orders to the waitress.

"Oh! That's why you thought Freddy and the others were here." Amara said.

"Exactly," Pietro said, "But apparently they must have missed them being passed out or they would be here."

"I wonder where they went?" Bobby asked aloud earning looks from everyone. Now was not the time to bring that up apparently. He hunched down crossing his arms on the back of the booth and resting his head on top of them.

"Hey it looks like they are talking now." Ray said pointing out the window. Everyone turned and looked for themselves. He was right, Lance and Kitty appeared to be having a very animated conversation over their plates.

"I wonder what they are saying?" Amara voiced her thought to the others.

"I vish ve could hear them." Kurt spoke up. No one responded, they all wished the same thing too.

**11:24**

**Inside Granite Tower **

"No way! Pietro has a crush on Rogue! I don't believe it!" Kitty said excitedly in disbelief leaning forward over the table.

"Yeah, neither can I," Lance agreed trying to hold back the laughter.

"How'd you like find out?" Kitty asked with interest.

"He talks in his sleep." Lance replied with an odd look, he couldn't bring himself to tell Kitty some of the other stuff Pietro had let slip while in dreamland. _He_ didn't even want to remember half of it.

They broke out in laughter at the thought. They had been discussing recent gossip concerning their friends, it wasn't the most romantic topic, but it was something that they could both talk about together, which was better than not speaking at all.

"Rogue still crushing on Summers?" Lance asked picking up their conversation.

"I think she's given up on that, but she doesn't talk about her feelings that much." Kitty shrugged. "Sometimes I wish she were more like Kurt when it comes to stuff like that."

"What do you mean?" Lance asked curiously.

"Kurt has a crush on a girl in his math class, Amanda, but she's a little shy and he doesn't have the guts to ask her out either."

"I thought you said he talked about his feelings."

"I meant he talks about his crush with the rest of us, It's funny I actually wanted to talk to the girls about it today and see if they wanted to help me hook the two of them up."

"Girls really do that sort of thing?" Lance asked.

"Well yeah, and not just girls, guys do it too." Kitty answered. Lance gave her a disbelieving look.

"I'm serious, you should like see Bobby trying to get Sam to ask out Amara. They got into a fight about it last week and like ended up breaking the Danger Room simulator." Kitty said.

"What!? Really? Why?, Doesn't Sam like Amara?" Lance asked.

"Nope," Kitty shook her head with a smile, "He likes Jubilee."

"So why is Bobby trying to get him to ask out Amara?" Lance asked again.

"Because Bobby likes Jubilee, and he knows that Amara has a crush on Sam." Kitty explained.

"Woah, I feel sorry for Amara then." Lance said, he couldn't believe how interesting he found this whole conversation.

"Don't be," Kitty remarked biting her lip with laughter. Lance raised his eyebrow at her,

"Why not?" he asked his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Because Ray has a crush on Amara." she answered then laughed, "And when I asked Jubilee why she was helping Ray study for physics she told me it was because she had a crush on him."

"Wow, and I thought we were the dysfunctional group." Lance commented wide-eyed, holding his head in his hands laughing.

"At least you don't have a kid crushing on you," she remarked, Lance looked back up at her giving her a questioning glance.

"Huh?"

"Jamie used to like have this huge crush on me, it has sort of faded into more of like a sister/brother thing, but for awhile it was really tough to be around him. I didn't want to hurt his feelings but I didn't want to like encourage this situation either." she told him, not knowing why she was telling him all of this.

Lance just laughed at the story, he wasn't sure what was so funny about it, but it felt good to sit there laughing with Kitty all the same. Kitty giggled in response to his reaction and went back to eating the rest of her salad.

**downtown Bayville -- a random street**

"Come on let's head back to the mall." Rahne said as they were nearing the crosswalk.

The three companions had crossed the street after a few blocks and headed down the sidewalk on the other side checking for signs of Todd and Jubilee with no luck. Freddy stopped in front of a restaurant sniffing the air in with deep breaths, his mouth watering.

Jamie stopped just in front of him, he looked up to the tall mutant and wondered how the guy could be so obsessed with food. He looked into the restaurant curious as to what kind of food they served but got another surprise instead. Jamie stared at the window eyes wide in shock.

Rahne had continued walking on to the end of the sidewalk without the boys. She looked over her shoulder and noticed they had stopped so she headed back toward them.

"What are you two doing?" she asked giving them a questioning look. She stared up at Blob who was still inhaling the air with his eyes closed. Rahne didn't know what to say to him so she switched her attention down at Jamie. She noticed his expression and bent down in front of him worried.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked him placing her hands on his shoulders. When he didn't respond she followed his gaze.

Rahne's eyes grew wide as she looked into the restaurant where, right in front of the window all the x-men and Pietro were staring back at the three of them. They just blinked at one another in wide-eyed confusion. Rahne bent her arm up and waved her hand up and down sheepishly. She got smiles from a few of her housemates, the rest were still gapping out at them. Rahne turned to ask the other two if they thought they should go in, when she noticed Fred was already leading Jamie inside. She looked back through the window startled and then quickly ran in behind them and joined the others inside.

**11:31**

**Inside Granite Tower **

"So do you think we should try and hook up Pietro with Rogue?" Lance wondered aloud after a few minutes. Kitty finished eating her salad and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you like serious?" she asked staring at him, her face mirroring her question.

"Yeah," Lance replied with a shrug. Kitty thought about the idea for a minute.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Kitty replied truthfully, the thought of what Rogue would do to her if they tried made her shiver. Lance paused his thoughts and took a drink.

"Yeah you're probably right. It probably wouldn't work out anyways, her being an x-men and him a member of the brotherhood." Lance replied.

Kitty looked up at him in shock and Lance seemed to realize what he had just said. They looked away from one another and sat in silence.

_'I can't believe I just said that,'_ Lance thought, mentally kicking himself in his head.

_'Does he really mean that?...'_ Kitty asked herself in her head not wanting to know the answer.

The didn't say anything else to one another as the waitress came back and Kitty paid for their meal. They silently stood up and headed for the door, each lost in their own thoughts.


	10. Chapter 10

So here it is, "the turning point" as I call it, since the focus of the story is changing and the back story is now the main story while the old main story will be the back story. Hope that isn't as confusing as it sounds.

I do need to inform you that after the bold titles of areas if you see any "---" marks that means it is a reaction after the above scene. ((the timing for some of the stuff would be in seconds if I were to put them and I really don't want to calculate it down that much.))

**

* * *

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**Chapter 10**

**11:40**

**The Institute **

Jean slowly opened her eyes and stared at the sunlight beaming through her window. She glanced at her clock and decided to get up. She yawned, still feeling tired even after her hour or so long nap.

She left her room and went into the bathroom to fix her hair and do her make-up wanting to see if she couldn't meet up with the girls for lunch or something later.

**Inside the Diner **

"Hey I think they are coming out." Bobby said watching through the window with the others still.

"Gee thanks Captain Obvious." Pietro retorted. Bobby pulled himself up and over the booth and glared at Pietro who glared back.

"Can we go over and say hi?" Jamie asked. He and Rahne were sitting in the booth behind Rogue and the others with Freddy across from them.

"NO!" everyone except Freddy and Rahne shouted at him. He cringed and slid down in his seat. Rahne placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic smile. He smiled back.

"I still have her phone though," Kurt said after thinking it over.

"Yah better stay right where yah are," Rogue warned giving him a stern look.

"But," Kurt started to object.

"Look fur-ball just stay put, got-that. Now let's just watch the show." Pietro warned, cutting him off. He turned back to the window. Kurt sighed giving in to them. The all returned their attentions to Lance and Kitty who were now standing just outside the window from where they had been sitting.

**11: 41**

**downtown Bayville -- across the street from the dinner**

"Hey Kitty," Lance began nervously, his hands in his pockets, "I was just uh….I mean I liked….ugh….well…it was fun having lunch with you and I…uh….was just wondering…if…uh…"

"Yeah Lance?" Kitty spoke up hopefully when he paused looking up at him with a sparkling smile. Lance met her gaze and suddenly his nerves melted away as he took a deep breath and returned her smile.

--_beep, beep_-- _"X-men come in, we've got trouble!"_--

Scott's voice interrupted Lance's thoughts and both he and Kitty looked at her purse confused. She pulled out her communicator a bit disappointed with the timing. Lance let out a sigh.

**Inside the Diner -**

Everyone jumped as Rogue's, Kurt's , and Evan's communicators all beeped and Scott's voice was heard.

"What-the-hell?" Pietro said giving Rogue a strange look as she pulled out her communicator.

"OH NO!" Tabitha shouted, everyone looked at her and those in different booths leaned over the backs – except Freddy who just stayed put. They saw what she saw and had the same reaction, seeing that Kitty and Lance were looking at Kitty's communicator curiously.

"He-is-going-to-ruin-everything!" Pietro shouted as the others just glanced at one another with the same thought of worry.

**Inside the Diner & Outside Granite Tower --**

--_"X-men come in," Scott repeated, "We have a problem, the brotherhood seem to be up to their usual tricks and we need to stop them before someone gets hurt. Come in X-men…"_--

**Inside the Diner---**

"WHAT!?!" Pietro, Rogue, Freddy, Ray, Sam, Bobby, Evan, Kurt, Amara, Tabitha, Rahne, and Jamie all exclaimed watching the scene from the window in disbelief and reacting to Scott's message coming from the x-men communicators.

**Outside Granite Tower ---**

Kitty backed away from Lance giving him a questioning glance.

"What is he talking about Lance?" she asked not wanting to believe Scott, but she also knew what the brotherhood were like and capable of.

"How should I know?" Lance said taken aback, not only by what Scott had said, but by Kitty's reaction. He guessed the guys were up to something, but couldn't imagine what it was. Before they could say anything else the communicator popped on again.

-- _"X-men Come in, I'm downtown, where are you so I can pick you up?"_--

Kitty looked from her communicator to Lance. She didn't know what else to do.

"I'm in front of Granite Tower." she replied into the communicator.

"Kitty….I…I swear that I don't know what's going on." Lance said in disbelief. He reached out to her but she backed away dropping her bags and taking a defensive stance.

"Like just stay away from me!" she warned him, she couldn't believe this was happening, she was so confused, her thoughts were zooming all over and she couldn't get her mind cleared.

Lance backed up in shock, he hadn't meant to threaten her. 'Oh man, why is this happening?' he asked himself trying to think of how to calm Kitty down.

Scott's car pulled up beside them and he quickly jumped out and stood in front of Kitty facing Lance.

"Kitty get in the car." he told her looking over his shoulder, glaring at Lance. Kitty hesitated, and then climbed into the back seat.

"Just what the hell is going on Summers?" Lance demanded, wanting to know what it was his teammates were supposedly doing.

Scott replied by punching him hard in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Lance fell to the ground on his knees, grabbing his stomach.

"SCOTT!" Kitty screamed in shock. Scott just jumped into the front seat and punched the gas down peeling out down the street knocking Kitty backwards against her seat.

Kitty turned herself around and looked back at Lance, who was still on his knees, then glared at the back of Scott's head as he still sped down the road.

"Like what did you do that for Scott?!!" she shouted furious, Lance hadn't done anything to deserve such action. Scott looked at Kitty through the rear view mirror.

"What? He had it coming, he was about to attack you." Scott replied, he still hadn't slowed down. Kitty was wondering if she had made the right choice, but that was the least important of her thoughts at the moment.

"Like he was not!" she argued, buckling up. "Slow down will you, you're driving more out of control than Bobby!" she said getting scared by just how fast they were passing by other cars. This wasn't like Scott at all. "What's gotten in to you lately?" she asked him.

Scott laughed in the front seat, he hit the gas harder.

"We have to hurry, they already got Jubilee." he informed her. That got Kitty's attention.

"Like what?" she asked.

"The brotherhood kidnapped Jubilee and the others, weren't you wondering what happened to the other girls?" he asked her making a very sharp turn, picking up more speed.

Kitty sat in the back seat as they speed through the edge of town. She couldn't believe it, she had just thought they had ditched her and gone on her day when her friends were in trouble, when they needed her. She looked completely mortified as Scott observed her in the mirror as they came to a shuddering halt. Too much was happening, she couldn't think clearly.

"You really are a gullible little kitten, now aren't you?" the laughter from the front seat made Kitty shiver down her spine in shock and fear.

Kitty knew now that she was in danger and needed to get away quick. She backed up into the seat thinking she would go straight though it, but instead she felt the seat press up against her back. Kitty gasped in shock, she hadn't phased.

The laughter from the front seat continued. Kitty closed her eyes and focused on her powers, pressing harder against the seat trying to phase through it. Her head started to hurt, like when her powers were over used, increasing as she continued to try and use them. Finally she couldn't stand it anymore and bent forward grabbing her head with her hands and let out a scream.

"Wha…what's happening to me…" she cried. She heard the car door open and slam, and then noticed the shadow of Scott cover her. He was standing beside the backseat of the car where she sat staring at her with a pleased grin on his face. He had something metal in his hand, the light of the sun reflecting off of it so Kitty couldn't make out what it was.

She tried to back away from him as he leaned over the car reaching out for her, but she was still buckled.

Kitty watched in horror and pain as he grabbed her arm and injected something into her body.

"what are... you... doing to me…." The pain in her head increased and she struggled in vain to keep conscious, "…Mystique.." Kitty passed out in the back seat of the convertible.

Scott's form slowly changed into Mystique, who looked down at Kitty's motionless body with satisfaction.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough my little kitten."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**11:42**

**downtown Bayville **

Lance held his stomach in shock. He stayed down on the ground trying to collect his thoughts. He hadn't expected that from Scott and cursed himself for leaving himself vulnerable to such an attack. His anger rose to the surface and all he wanted to do was find out where Summers had driven off to and deal out some payback.

His thoughts were interrupted by a rush of air around him making him look up. Pietro stood right in front of him looking pissed and concerned. He had ran outside as soon as the shock had wore off, he and the others had been speechless about what had just transpired, but more over they had no clue what Scott had meant.

"You-okay-man?" Pietro asked as soon as he appeared. Lance looked up at him angrily.

"Do I look alright?! What the hell are you guys up too?!" he asked furiously, knowing that whatever trouble Summers had been talking about was caused by the other three.

Pietro looked shocked at Lance's question. Then he returned his leaders glare.

"Nothing!-We've-been-hanging-with-the-X-geeks-all-morning!" he shouted defensively waving his arms in frustration.

"Don't lie to me Pietro," Lance warned clenching his fists, he wasn't in the mood for Pietro's jokes, like he was actually going to believe that Freddy, Todd, and him were suddenly hanging out with the x-men. Pietro stared back at Lance in disbelief, he was telling the truth, he didn't know what to do, he knew if they continued arguing like this Lance was going to start shaking things up.

"He's telling yah the truth Rocky." Rogue's voice broke both the boys thoughts as she walked across the street with Tabitha and stood in front of Lance along side Pietro. Lance looked up at them in disbelief, he couldn't believe it.

Tabitha knelt down and grabbed Lance's right arm under the shoulder to help him up. Pietro quickly moved beside his friend and grabbed his left arm. Lance was grateful for the help, for some reason he hadn't been able to get up by himself. He had been trying while arguing with Pietro.

"What?" Lance said in disbelief. Tabitha and Pietro let go of him and he staggered backwards loosing his balance almost immediately. Pietro caught him and supported Lance with his body.

"Lance!" Tabitha gasped with worry.

"Are yah okay?" Rogue asked.

"How-hard-did-Scott-hit-you?" Pietro asked surprised.

Lance didn't understand what this feeling was, his head was killing him, it was making him sick to his stomach, his body felt like it was flying. There was still a slight pain in his stomach, which confused him, he could handle a bunch, he felt so strange. He looked down where his hand was on his stomach and suddenly noticed what was causing the lasing pain. Right next to his hand was a syringe, empty of whatever contents it contained. Lance's head felt like it was on fire,

"Something's ….wrong…" he struggled to speak out to the others. He closed his eyes, fighting to stay awake.

He heard them gasp and could feel one of them, he couldn't tell who, pull out the needle from his abdomen.

"Lance……Lance…" their voices tried to rouse him and keep him conscious, but it was no use. He passed out and didn't hear anything else.

**Xavier Institute **

Logan wheeled himself out from under the X-Van, wiping his hands off with a rag that was already covered in grease. He let out a sigh as he surveyed his hand work. It had taken the whole morning but he had finally finished the repairs. he hoped that Hank was fairing just as well with the simulator and computer programs for the Danger Room. He went to work at cleaning up the garage and putting his tools away before he headed in for lunch.

**11:44**

**downtown Bayville **

The group filed out of the Diner in panic. Something was clearly wrong with Lance as they had seen him collapse in the others arms and was now on the ground with Tabitha, Rogue, and Pietro fussing over him in a state of panic equal to their own.

"Lance! Lance wake up!" Rogue shouted.

"What-the-hell-is-wrong-with-him? What-did-Summers-do-to-him?" Pietro demanded shouting at her accusingly.

"Come on Rocky wake up!" Tabitha said holding his head in her lap.

"Ah don't know what's wrong with him." Rogue said, she was just as confused and furious as the others but controlled her anger because she knew there was more going on than meets the eye. There was just no way Scott would do something like this. Punch Lance, maybe, but inject him with some unknown substance to knock him out, there was just no way.

"Hey! Is Lance okay!?" The three looked up from Lance and back across the street. Bobby, Kurt, Sam, and Evan were crossing the street watching out for cars, and it appeared that the others we going to follow suit behind them as the way was clear.

"What's wrong?" Bobby asked as he and the other boys reached the sidewalk. No one knew what to say in response, they just stared at one another.

"We need to leave." Tabitha said, "People are starting to gather." she observed a few people on either side of the street who had stopped and looking on at the teens with wondering glances.

"Where do you suggest we take him, huh?" Pietro snapped at her.

"Let's get him to the mansion," Rogue said, standing up.

"Is Lance okay!?" Jamie yelled out to the others as he, Rahne, Amara, and Ray were starting to cross the street.

"Keep back," Rogue yelled at them, knowing that they didn't need to make a bigger scene than they already were. Amara and Ray picked up on Rogue's meaning as they watched her scan the area and watch the people who were gathering around to watch the situation. They grabbed the younger two and held them back and stayed in front of the Diner with a concerned Freddy.

"Vat happened?" Kurt asked.

"Your leader attacked and drugged him-that's what happened!" Pietro shouted venomously standing up to face the others head on. He was sick of the x-geeks and their play of innocence in all of this.

"Scott wouldn't do that man." Evan said.

"What do you mean, you saw him do it!" Pietro shouted back pushing Evan up against the wall of the restaurant holding him up by his shirt.

"Pietro don't!" Tabitha pleaded.

"What do you mean drugged?" Sam asked curiously.

"Look." Tabitha replied holding the syringe she had pulled out of Lance's stomach.

"What was in it?" Bobby asked concerned.

"We don't know." Rogue said walking over to Pietro and placing a hand on his shoulder in hopes to calm him so he would let Evan down "We need to get him away from all these people before someone calls the cops or something." Rogue said noticing that some of the on lookers were now on cell phones.

"And what makes you think I'm going to trust you x-men enough to take him back to your mansion. Do you really think I trust you that much after what just happened!!!" Pietro spat at her. Rogue had enough of his little fit and decided to take action. She grabbed his wrist and pushed him off of Evan, who fell down against the brick. She then pulled Pietro right up to her face holding him by his shirt so he couldn't slip away.

"Listen Speedy we don't have time for this. We need to get Lance some help and find out what the heck is going on. And unless you have a lab with medical facilities hidden away in some secret room in the boarding house, the Institute is Lance's only chance."

Pietro glared at her, she returned the favor. He sighed after a minute of thinking over what she had said. He gave up, relaxing his body and looked down at his leader's unconscious body. He knew she was right, he still didn't like the idea of going with the x-men when it had been an x-men's fault that this happened, but he didn't see any other options in front of him.

"Fine." he replied looking back at her. She let go of him trusting him at his word. Everyone else sighed in relief that the situation was over, it had gotten a bit tense and a lot more people were starting to gather round.

"Kurt could teleport Lance now, we can catch up later." Bobby suggested.

"Don't think I'm sticking around with you slow pokes while blue-boy takes Lance away." Pietro said.

"Fine, yah can run to the mansion and meet them there." Rogue said.

"Vait a second, I can't take him." Kurt interjected. Everyone turned and looked at him.

"Kurt please." Tabitha begged, thinking it had something to do with the fact that Lance was a member of the brotherhood. Kurt looked down at the ground feeling guilty.

"Nein, I mean I can't teleport him. I haven't been able to all week." he closed his eyes and sighed.

"WHAT!?" They all shouted at him in shock.

"Kurt, why didn't yah tell anyone?" Rogue asked.

"Yeah man, why didn't you say anything?" Evan asked, completely shocked by Kurt's announcement.

Kurt couldn't form the words to answer them.

"I'm sorry." was all he could muster, he felt ashamed, and more helpless than he had felt the entire week.

"So how do we get there?" Tabitha asked. The group all looked at each other wanting someone else to make a suggestion.

"Should we call Logan?" Sam asked them. Rogue nodded and pulled out her cell phone and tossed it at the boys. Bobby caught it.

"Yah call him." she told them. "We need to clear the crowd." she said to the others. Evan, Kurt, and Pietro nodded and started going up to people to tell them everything was fine and under control.

"What! But we can't-" Bobby had started to object but Sam just elbowed him in the side and took the phone from him, flipping it open. He knew no matter what trouble they were going to get into for leaving the mansion, this was much more important. Rogue left them, crossing the street to go fill the others in.

**11:50**

**The Institute**

Logan clicked the garage doors closed and went inside. He headed for the elevator to head down to the basement to talk to Charles and check on Hank's progress.

"Hey wait up!" Jean said from behind him. He held the elevator open so she could join him.

"Thanks." she said with a smile.

"You heading out?" he asked noticing she had gotten dressed up.

"Yeah, I want to see if I can't meet up with the girls for lunch, but I want to see what I can bring Mr. McCoy and the Professor for lunch first."

Logan smiles at her thoughtfulness, it amazed him how considerate a girl like Jean could actually be.

They reached the basement level and the doors opened.

It took a few seconds for them to react to what they saw. The professor was sprawled out lying on the floor, his wheelchair on its side next to him.

"Charles!" Logan grunted and ran toward him.

"Professor!" Jean was right behind him.

They knelt down over him.

"Professor…" Jean said shaking him lightly, she looked up at Logan completely mortified, wondering what they should do and if he was going to be okay.

"Go get Hank and come to the Med Lab." Logan ordered and picked Xavier up and headed there himself. Jean watched him go and then ran off to the control room.

"Mr. McCoy come quick! Something happened to the Professor!" Jean shouted as the doors opened.

"Hank?!" she gasped seeing the huge beast lying face down on the floor of the room, that looked like a battle scene, which Jean realized was exactly what it was. Obviously there had been a struggle of some kind- spare parts and tools were scattered every where, the window screen was cracked and the circuits to a few of the controls were sparking.

Jean tipped toed hurriedly into the room and over to Hank's side. She flipped him over on his back with care.

"What happened?" she asked him trying to shake him awake. Fighting back the tears that were forming in her eyes she placed her fingers to her temples so she could carry him to the Med Lab for help too.

Jean opened her eyes in shocked confusion.

'something's wrong…I…I can't…' she tried to lift him with her powers again but failed. She collapsed back on her knees and held her head trying to fight back the rising panic inside her.

"Red what's taking you so…What the hell?!" Logan appeared in the door way and surveyed the room. He knew that something had happened here.

Jean turned around to face him, tears starting to fall down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly rushing over, thinking it had something to do with Hank. He bent down and checked the Beast's pulse and sighed in relief.

"Lo..Logan…"Jean started.

He raised an eyebrow to her curious what else was wrong.

"I..I…..I can't use my powers!" Jean cried out jumping into his arms for comfort.

Logan didn't know what to say. He placed a hand on her head as she cried, shocked by her announcement and his thoughts were already in overdrive trying to figure out what had happened and more importantly who had done it. Once more he wanted to know how this happened right under his nose, why hadn't the security system been activated, and how come he couldn't pick up any scent of an intruder. He held Jean quietly as she cried and he thought over the situation.

--_ring…ring…_--

The phone broke their silence.

Logan stood up and answered the phone, it hadn't been damaged in the struggle.

'that's something.' Logan thought to himself.

"What?" he grunted heavily into the phone.

There was an odd pause.

"Uh…Mr. Logan….Sir?" Sam's voice came through the receiver.

Logan shifted his weight as he switched the phone to his other hand and turned back to keep an eye on Jean, Hank, and the doorway.

"What?" he asked again, wondering why he was receiving a call from the boy who should be upstairs in the mansion somewhere. He glanced down at his wrist and noted it was already noon.

"Can you come pick us up?" the boy asked. Logan's thoughts shifted toward the phone conversation. His anger overtaking his curiosity.

"Want to repeat that bub?" he grunted harshly.

"We need a ride, we are downtown, Lance is hurt, Scott attached him and injected him with something, we aren't sure why or what to do. Can you come and pick us up. Please." Sam added the please after pausing from explaining everything else in a rush.

"Wha-What are you doing downtown, you are on probation and are suppose to be upstairs...and who's we?" Logan rubbed his temples, this day was not going smoothly. He could barely make sense of what Sam had said, but he had enough on his plate at the mansion and didn't need the kids getting into or causing more trouble. Jean got up and walked over to him, giving him a questioning stare. He held the phone out a bit so she could listen in.

"All of us: me, Bobby, Evan, Kurt, Jamie, Freddy, Pietro, Tabitha, Rogue and the girls. Well except Jubilee cuz we don't know where she went to in the mall, and Kitty who….." he trailed off.

"Who What?!" Logan grunted into the phone when Sam cut off.

--silence--

"What happened to the half-pint?" Logan demanded tightening his grip on the phone, causing the plastic to start cracking. Jean placed a hand on his arm to calm him.

"Should I go get them?" she asked him. He nodded and she ran off to the elevator.

"I fixed the X-Van, take it." he shouted after her.

**12:02**

**downtown Bayville **

Sam fell into silence as he explained to Logan what had happened. He had been listing off who was with him when he stopped when he got to Kitty.

"Kitty…" he was pointing down the street in the direction Scott had driven off with her when it dawned on him that she might be in trouble as well. He was holding the phone down by his side his other arm still pointing, eyes-wide, looking at the others, the worry showing on his face.

The others were looking at him with varied looks of confusion and understanding. Sam dropped the phone.

"Kitty." he said, horrified and looked toward where he was still pointing.

"You don't think Scott would hurt her?..Do you?" Bobby asked, suddenly picking up on what had Sam so freaked.

"Oh, man, what do we do?" Evan asked looking to his team mate. Kurt shrugged, he was worried for Kitty and hated the idea that she might be in trouble and need them.

"Ve have to go after her." he said finally.

"We don't know where Scott went though."

"But vat if she needs us?!"

"I know man, but….how do you expect to find them, you can't even teleport." Evan said.

"Hey, what is the matter with yah Sam, why'd yah drop my phone?" Rogue was leading the others from the crosswalk towards them.

Tabitha, Pietro, Evan, Kurt, Bobby, and Sam all looked at each other and then at Rogue.

"Kitty." they all said together as the group joined them. Rogue's expression changed instantly. The image of Scott peeling off and down the road with Kitty in the back seat suddenly flashed through her mind. How could she be so clueless, Kitty was most likely in danger and they had no way of going after her.

"Ve have to go after her." Kurt said, breaking Rogue's thoughts, his face determined.

"What about Lance?" Tabitha asked.

"Once we get him to the mansion he'll get help." Amara said, coming over to Tabitha and hugging her friend.

"Pietro," Rogue started, everyone looked at her, she looked almost sad "Could you see if you can't pick up Scott's trail, you are the only one fast enough." she asked him.

"What! I can't leave Lance, besides how do you expect me to do that, they are long gone by now."

"Please," Rogue pleaded, "Just try."

Pietro's eyes widened as he looked at Rogue, she seemed so desperate for his help, her worry for Kitty was taking its toll, he had never seen her like this, she looked like she might cry.

"Okay, okay. I'll try," he said throwing up his hands to make her stop, "but you have to promise me you'll take care of Lance."

Rogue nodded, giving him a smile.

"Ah promise." she gave him an odd hug, it was short, but Pietro stood there a moment afterwards.

"Uh, what should I do if I find them?" Pietro asked, trying not to bring attention to the fact that he had enjoyed the embrace. He knew what he wanted to do to Summers, but figured that they might want to come and help out incase Kitty was in danger.

"Here, take my communicator, give a shout if you find anything." she said holding it out for him.

"Okay-bye-I'm-off-you-better-take-good-care-of-Lance." he grabbed it and left in a flash, leaving a gust of wind in his wake.

Everyone stood together quietly as they waited for Logan, lost in their own thoughts.

"Hey guys?" Bobby spoke up after a few minutes. Everyone looked at him.

"What is it suga?" Rogue asked.

"Um, do you think something happened to Todd and Jubilee too?" he asked remembering how each had suddenly gone missing earlier.

This clearly wasn't something the others wanted to hear, the panic level throughout the group began to rise.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh my gosh, you're right!"

"What the heck is going on?"

"Where could they have gone to?"

"This isn't good."

"They did just disappear."

"Calm down, we don't know that anything happened to them." Rogue said, she didn't want another scene to break out for the public to start watching again.

"We saw Todd leading Jubilee out of the mall," Jamie pipped up. Everyone turned and looked at him.

"Hey, yeah that's right, we followed them down the street too." Freddy voiced in.

"But we lost sight of them. We don't know where they went." Rahne finished explaining.

"Did you hear them say anything about where they were going or why?" Ray asked. The three of them shook their heads.

"This is vay to veird, Vat is going on?" Kurt voiced.

"Did Scott completely loose his mind or something?" Evan asked.

"Maybe all that energy absorbing from the sun finally got to him." Bobby suggested trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work completely, but he did receive smiles and eye rolls for the comment, but no one felt like responding.

"Why would he inject Lance with something though? And what is this stuff?" Tabitha asked looking at the syringe still in her hand.

"I don't know?" Rogue stated again.

"You don't think he's going to die, do you?" Jamie asked looking down at Lance.

"Hey, don't talk like that man," Evan said leaning down and patting Jamie's back.

"Yeah, Lance is the toughest one out of all of us, except me, but that's only when it comes to physical stuff. Lance can handle more beatings than you guys could imagine, you should have seen half the stuff Mystique did to him, he even took beatings from her for us when she would lash out because we messed up at a mission. He can handle anything." Freddy spoke up with a smile, he admired Lance for all he had put up with to avoid letting Mystique take her anger out on him and the others, Todd especially. He hopped the thought would cheer Jamie up, but it seemed to make him scared for some reason.

"What did you say?!" the others spoke up in shock.

"Freddy, you guys never told me that!" Tabitha exclaimed, partly hurt that the boys wouldn't have confided in her about something like that. They shared everything, or so she had thought.

"It never came up." Freddy replied with a shrug, he didn't think it was a big deal.

The recruits all looked at one another oddly, they didn't know the brotherhood boys that well, but they couldn't imagine going through something like that and thinking it was nothing to be concerned about. Suddenly extra training sessions with Logan looked like a lot better than they had thought they were.

--_beep beep_-- _"Hello, team? It's Jean, I'm on my way downtown, where are you guys?"_ --

Jean's voice broke out from the communicators.

Kurt and Evan held them up and the others crowded round each of them.

"We are waiting in front of the restaurant Granite Tower." Evan said.

-- _"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."_ -- Jean replied.

Everyone seemed to relax a bit more with the knowledge help was on the way. Jamie and Rahne sat down with Amara and Ray on the sidewalk edge beside Tabitha and Lance's body. Evan, Bobby, Sam and Kurt leaned against the buildings, while Rogue leaned against a lamp post.

"Some fun…" Jamie sighed, holding his knees up to him and resting his head on his hands. Everyone looked down at him, but he didn't notice. "Why'd Scott have to go and ruin a perfectly good day."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**12:10**

**Bayville- driving down town **

Jean clicked off the communicator and tossed it down into the empty cup holder beside her. She sighed, wondering what had happened to the other kids and at the mansion. She figured Logan would have started going through the security cameras and have answers as to what was going on when they got back. Another sighed escaped her lips, she needed to keep calm and focus her thoughts, try and gain control of her powers again. She flicked on the radio stopping at a red light, tapping her fingers partly in impatience, partly along with the music.

-- _It waits for the day I will let it out. _

_To give it a reason, to give it its might. _

_I fear who I am becoming, _

_I feel that I am losing the struggle within. _

_I can no longer restrain it, _

_my strength it is fading, _

_I have to give in_. --

The light turned green and Jean started down the road to pick up the others.

-- _It's the fear _

_Fear of the dark _

_It's growing inside of me, _

_that one day will come to life. _

_Have to save _

_To save my beloved, _

_there is no escape, _

_because my faith is horror and doom_.--

Jean turned and made a left, happy that she wasn't hitting any more red lights.

-- _Hold down your head now, _

_just let me pass by. _

_Don't feed my fear, _

_if you don't want it out_. --

**Bayville- a road heading out of town **

Pietro made his way along the road, it was easier than he thought, apparently Summers's car had sensitive tires which left skid marks along the road where he had obviously increased speed.

'convenient' he had thought when he had started out. But now he was beginning to wonder if he missed some, there had been a very dark patch that had turned down this back road that led out of town, but since Pietro began running along it he hadn't seen any more.

'this is stupid, where the hell did Scott intend to go, not like there is anything out here..' his thoughts raced on in his head until he came to a fast stop. He gave the area around him a quick and careful glance.

"Hey! I know where this road goes to!" Pietro snapped his fingers and laughed out loud, he was quit pleased with himself. He set off again with a determined look on his face.

'If I'm right, then this could be interesting….but why would Summers go there anyways?..leave-it-to-an x-men-to-ruin-the-best-places-to-hangout-at-night.'

**12:17**

**downtown Bayville **

Jean pulled over and parked alongside the sidewalk where the group was waiting for her.

"Hey guys, get in." she said giving them an encouraging smile.

Tabitha reached into Lance's pocket and pulled out his keys.

"Come on Freddy, I'll drive you. Help me load Lance in the van first." she said.

Freddy with some help from Evan and Kurt loaded Lance into the back seat of the van. Rogue got into the passenger seat, and Bobby, Sam, Ray, Amara, Jamie, and Rahne piled into the other two back benches.

"Vill ride with them." Kurt pointed toward Tabitha and Freddy who were already headed to the green jeep parked just down the road. Jean nodded to him and Evan as they ran to catch up with the others.

"Everyone buckled?" Jean asked turning around to check to see if it was clear to pull out. The teens all groaned in reply. "heh, sorry everyone. bad habit." she said pulling out.

Rogue flipped the radio dial, the news was being read and that was just plain boring, she didn't want to discuss the situation just yet, knowing they would have to repeat the story when they got home. She figured a little distraction wouldn't hurt anyone.

-- _Long ago it came to me _

_and ever since that day, _

_infected with its rage _

_but it ends today. _

_It's the fear _

_Fear of the dark _

_It's growing inside of me, _

_that one day will come to life. _

_Have to save _

_To save my beloved, _

_there is no escape, _

_because my faith is horror and doom_.--

"That's odd, I just heard that song playing on the other station." Jean commented as the song ended.

"I'm just glad it's over." Rogue said.

"Yeah, I hate that song, it's creepy." Amara said with a shiver.

"Really, huh, I find it oddly soothing." Jean said. Rogue glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, but didn't say anything.

"So what happened?" Jean asked after a few minutes of no one talking. She might as well have not asked because no one responded. Jean frowned, knowing it must be serious, she just hoped they could handle whatever was going on at the mansion on top of whatever this was.

"Something wrong?" Rogue asked, noticing Jean's worried face. She didn't know what happened, but there was more to that look than just curious worry.

Jean jumped and put on a fake smile,

"Oh, nothing, I was just thinking. That's all." she lied staring straight a head of her at the road.

The mutants passengers all gave each other glances that seemed to tell they all didn't believe her.

"Yeah right, no offense Red, but you aren't that great at lying." Rogue said, crossing her arms at the older girl.

Jean let out a defeated sigh.

"I just don't want to scare you until I know what happened for sure." she started to explain. Everyone in the back leaned forward in their seats with interest. "Someone attacked Hank and the Professor in the basement of the mansion. They are both unconscious, and Logan's looking after them."

"What!?" Rogue exclaimed in shock. The others just gasped stunned by the news.

"Who could have done that?" Amara asked.

"Are they going to be okay?" Jamie asked.

"How'd they even get in to the mansion?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," Jean tried to answer them all at once.

"Man, nothing is going right today. First with Kitty and Lance, and now all of this." Bobby observed shaking his head in his hands. It was a bit much for him to handle.

"What about Lance and Kitty?" Jean asked confused.

"We were trying to get them together,." Amara started to answer.

"Yeah, but that didn't go so well. We spent the bulk of the time looking for them," Sam cut in.

"And when we finally did find them, they were already together." Amara finished.

"Nut-uh, you found Kitty at the music place first, remember?" Jamie corrected them remember what they had told him, Rahne and Freddy in the recap when they had finally joined the others in the Diner.

"Yeah and then we got distracted by Bobby's dumb story." Sam replied.

"Hey! It's not my fault Tabitha didn't know who Forge was." Bobby spoke up defensively.

"Forge?!" Jean spoke up confused, she wished she could read their minds, it was hard keeping up with everyone.

--_beep beep_-- _"Hey, is anyone there?"_ --

Kurt's voice broke up the conversation. Rogue picked up the communicator.

"What is it Kurt?" she asked.

-- _"Ve vere vondering if you have heard anything from Pietro yet."_--

Rogue couldn't help but laugh at that.

"You'd know if Ah had, you have communicators too suga." she replied.

--_"Oh! Yeah, you're right. sorry."_--

Everyone laughed in the Van, except Jean. A thought had suddenly occurred to her.

"Hey, how come Kurt didn't just teleport home?" she asked.

There was odd silence as everyone stopped laughing. Bobby coughed awkwardly looking to the others, not wanting to be the one to break the news.

"He didn't think it was a good idea since there were a lot of people around staring at us already. We didn't need anymore attention brought on to us." Rogue explained quickly, at that moment she didn't see a need to fill Jean or the grown ups in on Kurt's lack of powers. He obviously hadn't been comfortable in letting them know, and besides, there was much more important matters to worry about now.

"Oh, right." Jean nodded thinking it over and excepting the answer. Rogue made a slight turn around towards the others and gave them a stern look that they knew meant that they shouldn't say anything to the contrary.

"Hey, I was thinking," Ray spoke up, "Do you guys think that was really Scott who attacked Lance?" he asked them. Everyone was looking at him curiously.

"What do yah mean?" Rogue asked, giving Jean a 'We'll explain later' look seeing the red head was about to ask a question. Jean remained quiet and focused just on the road, and listening to what the others said.

"Well what Freddy said back there got me thinking. Wasn't that Mystique lady some kind of shape shifter? I mean, what if she was pretending to be Scott, instead of it being the real him?" Ray explained what he had been mulling over.

"What?! What did you say about Scott!?" Jean couldn't hold in her question any longer, "Exactly what happened you guys?" Again she was answered by silence. "Fine, but as soon as we get to the mansion, someone had better start explaining." she said making a tight right turn shifting everyone around in the vehicle.

"Careful Jean!" Jamie exclaimed turning back over his seat to look at Lance, his right arm and leg were now hanging off the side of the bench. Everyone sat in silence, the events of the day replaying in each of their heads, each trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. Rogue couldn't believe it possible, but Ray's idea sounded a lot more probable with everything that had happened than she wanted to admit. She hoped, for the sake of the others, that he was wrong, but as the minutes continued to pass and they drove passed the iron gates leading toward the mansion, she had a horrible feeling rising with in her knowing he wasn't.

* * *

**Song Credit: Jean's Song **It's the Fear – by Within Temptation


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 **

**12:17 pm**

**somewhere in Bayville **

Kitty opened her eyes, blinked, and closed them again. Her head was killing her, thoughts were streaming through her consciousness. Her body felt like she just got off one of the spinning teapots you see on carousals at the mall or at theme parks. She let out a soft moan and lifted her arm to rub her forehead.

"Huh?" she moaned confused, her arm wouldn't reach. She opened her eyes and waited till they focused in the dim light that surrounded her. She was lying down. Her brain registered that. She looked down at herself lifting her head slightly, which made her feel slightly sick to her stomach. Two large brown straps were fastened around each of her wrists.

"What-the-?" she spoke her thoughts aloud, unable to tell the difference between speaking and thinking. She tried to sit up but quickly found out that her ankles were strapped down too. Panic began to set in. She closed her eyes trying to configure her thoughts together so that they made sense.

"Where am I…wha-what happened to me?" she wondered biting her lip trying to think about the events of the day.

Visions of her sitting at the breakfast table with Rogue came to her.

_'I remember that, the girls and I were going to like spend the day at the mall.' _

She tried to remember that. She saw herself and the others in the dressing room, laughing. She saw herself being forced into another one at a different store with garments that would make her mother gasp in shock is she had seen Kitty in most of them.

_'Yeah, and then the girls ditched me. I went looking for them and ran into Lance…' _

Kitty gasped as memories came flooding in along with several different emotions she remembered having.

_Blushing at him near the fountain. _

_Taking his arm on the sidewalk. _

_Smiling across the lunch table of a restaurant with him. _

_Taking off his vest. _

_The awkward silence before the food came. _

_Lance asking if he could sit next to her. _

_The laughter they shared over Pietro's and the new recruits crushes. _

_Him telling her about looking for a job, and her offering some helpful advice about his wardrobe. _

_Him running after her, shouting her name just to get her attention. _

_Looking back at him after parting ways at the mall. He had looked back at her too- they waved, and then off they went. _

_His cute clueless face as he sat next to her on the bench. _

_That adorable nervous posture and stance as he tried to tell her something outside the restaurant. _

_'That's right, he started to tell me something……'_  
"But What?" her thoughts came out loud again. She pursed her lips as she tried to remember. Suddenly the scene came to her clear as the glass of the restaurants windows.

_"Hey Kitty, I was just uh….I mean I liked….ugh well it was fun having lunch with you and I….uh…was just wondering …if...uh..." _

_"Yeah Lance?" _

_'that hopeful and totally /awkward pause as we looked at one another.' _

_She smiled, he smiled _

_'I swear he was about to ask me out……but what stopped him?... I can't remember…' _

Kitty opened her eyes, tears in the corners. Her head was killing her, she felt like she was going to pass out, but something inside her gut told her not too. Something pulled at the back of her mind and she took a few deep breaths trying to calm the feelings inside her; her panic, her confusion, her disappointment, her frustrations.

She could see herself in Scott's car.

_'But why?... how'd I get there?' _

"Aah, I see you are finally awake my dear. I've been waiting such a long time too." A man's voice spoke from what sounded like an intercom system that needed new speakers desperately. Even with the electronic crunches and echoes there was something chilling about the voice that sent goosebumps down Kitty's spine.

Kitty was about to open her mouth and shout at the voice wanting answers for the thousands of questions streaming through her mind, when the lights turned up making her close her eyes.

She heard what sounded like a door sliding open and footsteps heading toward her. She squinted her eyes open trying to get a good look at whoever it was but she quickly realized that whoever it was, was coming up from behind her. She had no warning when a man and woman suddenly appeared over her.

"Have a nice cat nap?" the woman asked with a sly grin.

Kitty scowled at the woman, she wanted nothing more in that moment than to have a hand or maybe even a leg and knock that look off her blue skinned face.

"Urgh…Mystique…." Kitty tried to formulate a good enough insult but the pain in her head was increasing.

"Now, now. You shouldn't try to talk, or move. Both will just cause you more pain and most likely you'll pass out again. And that would ruin my time clock my dear. So please cooperate." the man spoke to her placing two fingers on her neck as if checking her pulse.

"Get your hands off of me!" Kitty screamed trying to pull away from his touch, she could tell by the coldness of his voice that he was the one who had interrupted her thoughts on the intercom. "Who the hell are you?" she asked swallowing back the rush of pain in her head.

"My, my language dear child." the man said giving her a broad grin. Kitty's stomach did a turn just by looking at him. She turned away and closed her eyes quickly, there was something sickening about looking at the man, she wondered how that was even possible.

"Doctor's orders Kitten, and I suggest, for your sake, that you follow them." Mystique remarked with a hint of mocking in her voice.

"What's wrong with me, why does my head hurt?" Kitty asked tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She didn't care about following the orders of Mystique or the man, if he was with her, he wasn't a friend of hers.

"Your mutation is doing that to you my dear, yours is having a unique side effect to my drug. I hope you will stay and cooperate with me while I run a few tests to find out why." the man replied.

"So does that mean I'm free to go if I don't?" Kitty asked already knowing the reply, but she figured any stalling she could do to prevent the tests from being done, she'd try it. The man broke out into an earsplitting laughter.

Mystique's hand made contact with Kitty's cheek leaving it hot and tingling with pain. Kitty winced, but opened her eyes and stared her captors down.

"Don't pretend to be brave, you're in no condition to play heroics my dear," the man said walking away out of Kitty's sight.

"Here, how does that feel?" he asked placing an ice pack on the cheek Mystique had slapped. Kitty looked up at him confused.

"I take it you have everything under control then?" Mystique said to him. "Call me when you are through with her Sinister, I have some treatment of my own I plan on giving this one."

"Oh, now that's interesting, do tell, what makes her more special than the other two?" the man asked coming back over to Kitty's side. He now had on a white lab coat, blue latex gloves, a mint blue face mask and a tray which he placed on a small silver table beside where he stood, but out of Kitty's eye view.

Mystique started to walk away and opened up the door to leave.

"Let's just say this little kitten is more trouble than she's worth, and needs to better trained." then she left Kitty alone with the man in the lab coat.

He pulled back some of Kitty's bangs that were on the front of her face and placed them behind her ears.

She didn't appreciate the gesture. His eyes, there is something menacing about his eyes.

"Shall we begin my dear?" he asked moving the mask down and placing it around his neck. He leaned over her and stared down, obviously wanting some kind of response.

Kitty's mind was still hurting, but she focused on staying alert. She needed to remain calm and stay awake. It was all she could do.

"Who are you?" she asked again, biting the inside of her lip to keep from quivering. The more he stared at her the more she had the urge to shiver all over.

"Oh, yes, you did request that bit of knowledge before. Well my dear, I'm a doctor, I work with DNA and genetic mutation and growth. I'm also a mutant just like yourself and I'm absolutely fascinated with how the X-Gene works." he gave a smile and turned away leaving her.

"I meant your name." Kitty said slightly annoyed. She bounced her eyes around while she focused on listening for him.

He came back a moment later, returning with three vials of liquid.

"Dr. Nathan Milbury, but you may call me Sinister." he chuckled, then with an odd smile he looked down at her as he placed the vials down on the tray. "That's my mutant name, and what is yours?"

Kitty wondered just what kind of mutation this man had, and if he was even a real doctor. She didn't want to let her guard down with him, no matter how harmless he seemed. But she didn't see anything wrong in answering the question, after all he was answering hers.

"Shadowcat," she replied licking her lips. Her whole mouth was dry.

"Ah, that explains the cat euphemisms Mystique uses with you. She tells me you can walk through things, yes?"

Kitty just nodded.

"Fascinating," the man said holding one hand to his chin. "And yet you are able to maintain a stable stance on the earth."

"Huh?"

"You don't fall through to Earth's Core I take it when you use your powers?"

"No." Kitty raised an eyebrow at him.

"Very interesting."

"What is?"

"Your power, my dear, your power."

Kitty wasn't sure what to make of this guy. If she wasn't strapped down to a medical bed she might think him just another mutant wanting info about another mutant's powers. But she was, which made her think that there had to be some reason for this information collecting. Now she felt stupid for answering him.

"You'll find, as you did when you arrived that your powers aren't working currently," Sinister said changing the subject. He picked up a syringe and a vial with a milky white liquid inside. He filled up the syringe, Kitty watched him with horrified curiosity. He noticed.

"Don't worry my dear, as long as you cooperate, you won't be getting this. Some of it is already in your system via your breakfast I believe." he said.

"WHAT!? What is that stuff? And how did you put it in my breakfast?" Kitty asked struggling against her bounds. She didn't want to cooperate anymore.

He placed one hand on her upper arm and squeezed.

"Now, now my dear, if you keep this up I'm afraid I'll have to call in Mystique and she and I have very varying methods in dealing with uncooperative patients. But I'm afraid my work is all I have time for, I'm leaving all patient management to her very capable hands.

Kitty laid still on the bed scowling at him. He smiled his cold grin.

"Much better, thank you." he placed the syringe back down again. "Are you still experiencing any headaches? A nod will do either way."

Kitty nodded. His questions and her responses went on for a while, everything was a yes or no type question that he recorded in a small handheld notebook he had pulled out from his pocket. Kitty felt awkward in the room with only his voice breaking the silence.

"Well my dear, I'm afraid there is only one last thing I need from you." he held up an empty syringe. "Just remain still while I take this blood sample." he said sticking it into her bare arm. Kitty winced and tapped her feet in the air at the pain.

"Thank you, you've been the best patient yet. I hate to send you out to her, but I'm afraid I'm done with you. Though from the sound of it, you won't be done for quite some time." He reached into his left pocket and produced a communicator.

"Mystique," he spoke into the speaker.

Kitty's eyes grew wide, what was going to happen to her now.

_'Why is this happening…What are Mystique and this guy doing together,…..and what did he mean by "best patient yet"?...' _

Kitty's thoughts were interrupted by Mystique's voice replying to the call.

"What is it Sinister?"

"I have a kitten here who could use some play time."

Kitty gave the man a death glare for the comment. He seemed taken aback by her response but quickly recovered with a cold laugh. "And be careful my dear, this one seems to have claws."

**An abandoned construction yard on the outskirts of Bayville **

Pietro stopped and paced himself at a casual walk when he came to the construction yard.

"Man, haven't been to this place in a while. Not since Boss Lady and Dad were around." he commented aloud to himself. He bent down at the entrance and saw that indeed he was correct in guessing where Summers had gone.

"Oh, yeah. Quicksilver's done it again." he laughed. He snuck around the warped wooden fence and followed the tracks through the dirt, avoiding stepping on metallic shards and nails until the tracks just stopped.

"That's odd." he squatted down to get a better look at the tracks. He could see footprints that led from the driver's seat, presumably Scott, that led to the back seat, where Kitty should have gotten out, but there where no more tracks. Instead, the tracks seamed to change in an overlap on top of Scott's.

Pietro quickly stood up and looked around him for any sign of who he now knew those tracks really belonged to.

"This is bad. I have to get back if she…" he cut himself off hitting himself on the forehead. "Duh Pietro, Rogue gave you a communicator." he pulled it out of his pocket and clicked it on, all the while looking around himself, just incase.

"Hello, Quicksilver to home base, Target found." he said mocking the old sci-fi shows Todd and Freddy enjoyed watching on Friday nights when they actually had working cable. He laughed after the fact, enjoying himself. He tapped his feet into the sand and gave the yard another scan before turning his attention to the communicator, which remained silent.

"Hey, it's me Pietro, come on guys I found out some relevant info." he waited for a response. He let out a sigh of agitation. "HELLO! EARTH TO X-GEEKS, I have found where the Kitten is, if you want her back in one piece you might try answering."

Silence.

"What the heck is going on here?" Pietro wondered he clicked the communicator and shook it in his hands a bit.

"Rogue?" he asked it trying one last time before giving up. His agitation and impatience took control, he ran off at full blast out of the construction yard and back to the main road which would lead back into town, where he planned on heading straight for the Xavier Institute on the other side of town.

_'I'll get there faster than they'll answer me anyways.'_ he thought to himself.

**12:21**

**Institute Basement **

Logan looked up at the monitors glowing in front of him. Three were showing nothing but static, two more had blank screens because of the cracks in them and of the remaining four, only one was giving a clear image of the security cameras in and around the mansion. He wasn't thrilled to find out that whoever had attacked them had disabled almost all of the camera feeds.

He pressed the F5 key and it took him to the Med Lab screen, he was at least grateful that the cameras there were operating correctly.

He sighed as he observed his colleagues on the medical beds, each hooked up to a heart monitor and an IV drip. He didn't have medical background, but he knew how to use both of those, and it was all he could think of to do for the two of them since he didn't even know what was wrong with them.

He let out a growl of frustration and bunched into one of the already cracked screens, making the damage worse.

He tried accessing the computer log and security system program, but somehow someone had changed all the passwords and he doubted it was the work of Hank.

"Come on, stupid machine." he growled unsheathing his left claws and slicing the row of static screens.

Nothing was making any sense. He wanted to know who would dare do this, and further more who had the knowledge and abilities to pull this off.

His mind registered the regular list of suspects; Sabertooth, Magneto, Mystique, SHIELD, Hydra, and the brotherhood. He had a very good feeling that it wasn't the former, and when he thought about it being the first, he knew that was wrong because he didn't pick up on his scent anywhere, but it still left a fowl taste in his mouth.

This was too messy to be an operation executed under SHIELD or Hydra, so that only left the Metal Bender and the Shape Shifter.

And by the looks of things, he could guess which one was more likely, now he had to come up with the how, the why, and what for.

An odd blimpy sound from a console to his right interrupting his train of thoughts. He grunted and walked over. It was the Security activation alert.

"Damn it, what else isn't working round this place," he grunted returning to the monitor screens and clicking through all the cameras that were left sending a signal.

_'Nothing at the front gate, or the walkway, or the garage, or the sides of the house, nothing in the main floor or kitchen, damn it the dorms aren't working either…no wait,…..just the boys. Well that's interesting.'_

Logan stood there thinking about that until another blimp sound snapped him back to his present task.

_'The hangers clear, same with the DR room, no Cerebro Control room, and the locker rooms seem fine on the basement floor. Seems like the only other things not working down here is this room and the hallways.'_

His ears twitched and he stiffened his stance unsheathing his claws. Then he quickly turned round to face the intruder he knew was coming straight at him. He jumped forward and flipped in the air landing right in front of the intruders quick feet.

"WOAH!-Hey-there-claws-its-just-me-relax!" Pietro said with a halt, throwing his arms up in a defensive don't-hurt-me position.

Logan glared at the sliver haired teenager and with is right hand, claws still drawn he held him in a threatening position just below the speedsters chin.

"Start explaining what your doing here speedy and you better start talking if you get me bub." He growled.

Pietro gulped taking a few steps backward. Suddenly the state of the room registered with him.

"Hey, what-the-heck-happened-here?" he asked speeding over to take a look at the monitor systems.

"Woah,-you-guys-got-taken-out!" He said clicking through the camera screens.

Logan turned on his heels and stared at the boy's back with a deadly stare.

"Ha!" Pietro laughed landing on the Medical room camera, "What happened to the huge fur-ball and old baldy?" he turned to ask Logan, dying off as he saw the metal claws pointing at him. He instinctively he threw up both his hands as if under arrest. "Chill Wolverine," he started but was cut off by the man's furious growl.

"What are you doing here kid?"

Pietro took a minute to think of his reply, something that even he couldn't believe he was doing, but he wasn't about to mess with an internally armed crazy man with trust issues. He carefully reached into his pocket and produced the communicator Rogue had given him. Logan's eyes widened in recognition.

"Rogue-sent-me-after-your-little-Scotty-who-sped-off-after-attacking-lance-and-kidnapping-the-kit-kat."

"And where are the others?" Logan asked retracting is claws and stiffening up in front of the teen.

"Beats-me, They-never-answered-me-back, so-I-came-here-thinking-they'd-already-be-here-but-I-guess-I-beat-them,not-like-that-surprises-me-or-anythin-"

Logan cut Pietro off by grabbing his throat.

"Cork it until they get here then. They should be here soon. So sit down and don't cause any trouble. Got it bub?" he growled bringing Pietro up to his face. Pietro looked Logan in the eyes and after he swallowed down his moment of fear, he just gave a slight nod. Logan set him down on his feet and released his grip around his neck. He turned away and continued to look through what was left of the security systems. Pietro crossed his arms and sat down in a huff, he stuck his tongue out at Logan when he wasn't looking.

**12:33 pm**

**Xavier Institute **

Jean parked the X-Van in the garage and everyone piled out. Tabitha pulled up right in front of the mansion and she, Freddy, Evan, and Kurt got out and went to meet the others as Sam, Ray, and Bobby slowly unloaded Lance from the back seat and rested him down on the concrete floor.

"Okay, we're here, now spill. What happened you guys?" Jean asked in a huff crossing her arms glaring at the group, standing between them and the door.

"There will be plenty of time for that later Red, right now I want everyone to get inside and go down to the Med-Lab." Logan's harsh voice made Jean jump as he came up from behind her and it stopped anyone else from speaking up. "Now where's the Rockslider?" he asked approaching them. The group spread out clearing a path from Logan to where Lance lay on the floor. With one swift move Logan bent down grabbed Lance around the waist and tossed him head first over his left shoulder, keeping his legs held tight in front of him. He turned and headed indoors.

"Come on, We don't have all day." he said disappearing inside the mansion.

"Badger really knows how to make you feel welcome," Tabitha said, her sarcasm bringing smiles to a few of the mutant teens faces.

"We'd better follow him." Jean said, but she didn't move, she just turned toward the door and glanced at the rest of the group over her shoulder.

"Yeah, sure, whatever Red." Evan said heading in scratching the back of his neck. Jamie, Rahne and Freddy headed in together behind him.

"Well this day just keeps getting better and better," Bobby said trying his hand at making a sarcastic comment of his own. He received frowns and glares from the remaining group. He looked dumbfounded and made a huge jester toward Tabitha.

"Oh sure, it's okay for her to be sarcastic but as soon as the Iceman gives some, you all go on a war path. I was just trying to lighten the mood, so lighten up already." he stormed past them all in an angry huff and stomped all the way indoors.

"Maybe we should cut him a break," Amara suggested looking down at her feet sadly, she didn't know why but she felt guilty about what had just happened.

"Yeah, it's not his fault his timing sucks." Ray added placing a hand on her shoulder with a smile. Slight laughter filled the air as everyone vented out their nerves and worries with the short moment.

"Come on yah yahoos, if we want answers we need to get downstairs." Rogue said leading the group inside. Jean stayed behind, a sad frown on her face. She closed her eyes and entered the mansion, closing the door to the garage behind her and locking it with a stiff Click.

**12:43 pm**

**somewhere in Bayville **

The lock clicked and with a metallic screech Kitty was thrown into the large cage. It slammed heavily behind her and Mystique then left the room.

"Kitty!" a girl's voice brought Kitty from lingering between consciousness to full awareness. Full, but tired and drained.

"Jubilee?" she asked slowly sitting, up. She clenched her teeth as several of her muscles screamed at her along with the pain in her chest where she knew she had a cracked if not broken rib.

"Kitty! It is you!" Jubilee squealed wrapping an enthusiastic arm around Kitty where she sat. Kitty took note that Jubilee was only using one arm. She quickly pushed the girl away from her and grabbed the elbow of the her left arm.

"What happened?" she asked immediately.

"It's a long story." Jubilee confessed pulling her arm away and softly cradling her bandaged wrist. Kitty stood up and looked around with a sigh. They seemed to be in some sort of underground cellar or bunker of some sort. They were located in the far corner from a set of double doors in a large floor do ceiling bared cage with one huge padlock keeping them sealed in. The walls were solid concrete and the florescent lighting left a lot to be wanted for visual observation. She noticed they weren't the only ones in the cage either. In the far corner crouched a familiar smelly mutant.

"Toad! What are you doing here? What is Mystique up to, what are you guys doing?" she asked quickly rounding on him pushing Jubilee behind her and taking a defensive stance, even though her ankles where singing with pain.

"No, Kitty! You've got it all wrong. Todd's innocent. All the brotherhood boys are!" Jubilee shouted at her tugging on her arm with her right hand. Kitty swirled around to look at her, confused.

"Huh?"

"She's right yo. We got like nothing to do with this or Mystiques messed up scheme." Todd spoke softly defending himself. He didn't move from his spot.

"Kitty, none of this is his or the brotherhood's fault. You believe me right?" Jubilee said sitting down on the floor with a sigh, she leaned up against the bars. Kitty stared down at the two of the them. She sat down across from Jubilee.

"Okay, I believe you. Now start explaining."

"Kitty, it's a really long story." Jubilee sighed again, her eyes closed. Kitty could tell she was exhausted. She understood the feeling, and felt sorry for the girl wishing she could comfort her, but she had no idea what was going on or what her friend had been through. She just hoped it was nothing like what she had just experienced. She took one more look around the room and then sighed herself.

"Trust me, we have the time." Kitty said leaning her head back and adjusting herself in as comfortable a position as she could get in. Todd and Jubilee exchanged glances and then they nodded.

"Okay, but mind if we take turns. We're tired Kitty." Jubilee asked rubbing her wrist softly. Kitty smiled at them.

"Sure, be my guest."

"Alright yo, but try not to interrupt none till we're done." Todd said shifting himself so he faced both the girls. Kitty gave him a nod and he started to fill her in on what all they knew.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 **

**12:35**

**Xavier Institute **

The elevator doors opened and Logan stepped out leading the group straight to the Med Lab where Professor X and Beast were lying unconscious on doctor's beds beside one another in the back corner of the room.

The younger X-men starred in shock reality of the day's recent events just clicking in each of their heads. The room had a dull silence beyond the monitors' soft beeps.

"Jean, get another IV packet from the supply closet. And the rest of you stay out of the way." Logan ordered plopping Lance down on a bed in the center of the room. He then began to check Lance over, pulling up his shirt to see where the injection hole was and just how deep it went.

"Is he going to be okay?" Freddy asked over the heads of the others, he had to take the elevator down by himself and had just come in.

"Once I know what is wrong with them, I'll give you an update bub." Logan's answer didn't seem to go over to well with Freddy or some of the younger students. Logan just turned away and hooked Lance's left index finger up to the heart monitor. Jean slipped passed him to hang up the IV bag and then she carefully inserted the needle and taped it down just like her parents had taught her to do.

"So what exactly happened you guys?" Jean asked again, biting her lip to stop her from asking the question she really had on her mind.

"We already told you what happened on the phone!" Bobby replied in a huff slouching down on an empty bed.

"Lance got attacked by Scott."/ "Something's wrong with Scott! He hurt Lance then drove off with Kitty we have to find her!"/ "Scott just showed up out of no where"/ "We watched him punch Lance in the stomach" / "He had a syringe sticking out of him then he passed out." / "Ve have to go after Kitty she could be in trouble too"

The simultaneous responses from the kids made the room volume almost earsplitting.

"HOLD IT." Logan growled rubbing his temple, he waited for the kids to quiet and then crossed his arms leaning back against Lance's bed. "You're all are as bad as the speedster, someone mind explaining, I don't need to hear it from all of you and try and keep it simple."

"Speedster?" Tabitha and Rogue asked at once.

"Yeah, he got here awhile ago. I got him sitting in the control room." he grinned.

All the new mutants backed up at the expression Logan was giving them. They almost all ran into Freddy, which startled them even more. Rogue cocked her head to the side giving him a questioning look.

"Do Ah even want to know what yah mean by that?" she asked.

"You didn't hurt him did you?" Tabitha asked her worry showing for the silver haired mutant.

Logan gave a muffled laugh then pointed toward them, or rather behind them.

"He's across the hall if you want to check on him, and I even left him in one piece for ya."

Tabitha and Rogue led Freddy and a few of the younger mutants down the hall toward the control room. It was a complete mess, most of the monitor screens were broken, wires and circuits popped up everywhere, and some were still sparking. There was a cleared path of debris leading from the door toward the monitoring area and there, sitting in a computer chair was Pietro, fully ducked taped from mouth to wrists to it. The chair and him were laying on the ground tilted on their sides, and he seemed completely furious with his situation. He didn't seem to notice the others arrive, he just rolled around and fidgeted trying to get himself free from his bonds.

No one really knew what to do or say, they were trying their best to keep from bursting out laughing. They just stood there watching him hobble from side to side on the floor coming dangerously close to running into some pieces of rubble around him.

"Hey what's taking you guys so long, Logan told me to get you, or rather threateeennn-" Bobby burst out in laughter as soon as he saw Pietro rolling on the floor.

Pietro stopped and looked up at them his face showing his shock and embarrassment.

Bobby's laughter caught on through the group.

"Well the Badger certainly has style," Tabitha joked, "I'll have to remember this one."

"No one move him, I'm going for my camera!" Evan exclaimed dashing out of the room. Pietro's eyes practically burst out of their sockets while the group at the door about fell over from their rapid giggles.

Rogue stumbled over to him,

"Don't worry sugah Ah got yah." she said trying not to burst out laughing with the rest of the group.

"Ughhh-thanks Rogue." he said as she pulled off the tape covering his mouth. "Freddy! Can you at least lift me up before you completely fall all over yourself?!" he shouted at the doorway where Freddy had collapsed down to the floor.

"Huhha-ha Sure-ha thing- Pietrooo," Freddy replied pushing himself back up and over to help Rogue unbind him.

The others grabbed onto each other for support not even trying to get a hold of themselves.

"Hey you guys what do you think you are doing wasting time? And what's so funny?" Jean's voice broke the laughter. Rogue and Freddy looked at each other and then from Pietro to Jean.

"What do you mean what happened? Isn't it obvious Jean?" Rogue retorted with a sly grin.

Jean raised her eyebrows, taken off guard by Rogue's reply.

"Ugh…I…I..."

"This is what happens when you leave Pietro unattended for long periods. His boredom gets the better of him."

The group broke out into laughter again, while Pietro gave Rogue a glare that could kill. Jean looked around her at the others and rolled her eyes,

"Just hurry up okay." she said turning around and heading back to the Medical Lab. She was biting her lip to keep from laughing, but Rogue noticed it and that was enough for her. She smiled in triumph, ignoring Pietro's menacing stare.

Freddy and Rogue were almost done with the tape, they had about five or six more times around Pietro to go before they had to undo his wrists from the chair arms.

"Hey Pietro!" Evan called from the doorway and everyone turned at the sound of his voice. "Smile for the camera."

There was a click then a bright flash, followed by a buzz and a mortified groan from Pietro.

"I'd say that counts as this month's blackmail." Evan sneered walking off with his chin up.

"!" Pietro shouted furiously trying to stand up jerking the chair forward with him.

"Hey cut it out Pete"

"Stop it Quickie or we can't free yah."

Evan leaned backwards into view in the doorway and took another snapshot.

"What was that Pietro? Huh, couldn't here you through all that tape." he laughed giving him a wink and then leaving again.

"DANIELS-YOU'RE-A-DEAD-MAN! YOU-HERE-ME! A-DEAD-MAN!" Pietro fought against the binds to get free he wiggled out of Freddy's grasp and literally collapsed down to the ground again.

Still enjoying Pietro's embarrassment everyone slowly started to follow Evan back to the med lab their laughter echoing through the halls.

"Ah thought Ah told yah to stay still." Rogue snapped leaning down beside where Pietro fell.

"Sorry but my dignity was on the line, what was I suppose to do just sit there and take it!?" Pietro snapped back scowling at her.

"It's not like you helped any, besides making more of a fool out of yourself." Rogue replied back coldly.

"Gee thanks for the information-BUT-think-you-can-zip-it-and-HELP-ME--UP!" he glared at her struggling to get himself free. Rogue narrowed her eyes at him.

"Fine, be that way!" She stood up and headed for the door, "You can get yourself free for all Ah care."."

"Wait Rogue! Rogue! I'm sorry!" Pietro called after her kicking his foot on the ground spinning himself so he could look at her. She didn't stop; she just lifted her fist and gave him the finger.

"Freddy come over here and help me! Rogue wait!" Pietro shouted trying his best to apologize.

"Don't even think about helping him Freddy. Just leave him there" Rogue said, glaring toward them over her shoulder stopping at the edge of the doorframe. Freddy froze, he had already started heading over to Pietro. Rogue turned and left the room still fuming.

"Rogue!" Pietro once again called after her, knowing it was hopeless.

"Sorry man, but she's scary." Freddy said heading for the door himself.

"Come on Freddy we're teammates. At least sit me back up straight." Pietro whined.

"Okay. But that's it." He lifted Pietro up and sat him up right then quickly left leaving Pietro to hopple a long out of the room at a snails pace grumbling all the way as he made his way down the hall to join the others.

_'I'm going to kill him.'_ he thought to himself.

**12:49 pm**

**somewhere in Bayville **

"Kitty, I'm not sure we can escape."

"We at least have to try Jubilee. I'm not going to like just stay here and be experimented on like some kind of laboratory rat."

"Yeah but how do you expect to go anywhere, we're locked in yo. Not like we can walk through the bars like you can."

"I told you, that guy, that Dr. Sinister injected me with some kind of mutant suppressant. My powers aren't working just like Jubilee's." Kitty snapped.

"Come on don't fight. We're in this together." Jubilee interjected trying to be a voice of reason, "We're in enough of a mess as is."

Todd and Kitty looked at her and then turned away their faces full of shame.

"Sorry Todd."

"Yeah, me too yo. So what kind of escape do you have in mind?"

"I don't really," Kitty said sighing "I just want to get out of here." she said closing her eyes, she could hide the tears forming in her eyes but she couldn't shake the fear from her voice. Jubilee reached out to hug her but quickly pulled back remembering Kitty was injured.

"I'm sorry," A voice broke their conversation and made all three of the caged mutants jump at once where they sat. As one they turned and looked at the person standing just beside the cage with mixed expressions of confusion.

"My dad told me to come check on your injuries." the boy said, nodding toward Kitty.

"Your dad?" Jubilee questioned.

"Yeah, I'm suppose to see if I can heal you." the boy explained with a smile. "I'm a mutant too, healing's my power." he added reading the questioning looks they were giving him completely wrong.

"Dr. Sinister is your father?" Kitty asked in disbelief. She wasn't sure what was going on, her ears seemed to be telling her one thing but her eyes were telling her a different story.

Where Dr. Sinister had been creepy and cold in both voice and appearance, this boy was literally glowing with warmth and cheerfulness. His eyes were a soft walnut colored brown, his hair dull wheat blonde and his skin seemed to have a golden tint that seemed perfectly natural in just looking at him. She figured he was around Jamie's age by his overall height and appearance.

Todd and Jubilee didn't seem to be buying his story either. Jubilee leaned in toward Kitty unsure what to do or say.

The boy just smiled and walked over to a metal storage cabinet near the cage and unlocked it using a set of keys he pulled out of his pocket. He grabbed a first-aid kit and some water bottles then locked it back up.

"Yeah, well actually I guess he's my adopted father, if you want to be technical about it." he replied with a shrug heading back over to the cage and setting the supplies down as he sat on the ground. He held out a water bottle between two bars of the cage, "I'm not suppose to give you guys anything to eat or drink but I figure some water can't hurt. But you need to let me check you out."

"Alright, but we each get one." Kitty said nodding toward the other water bottles the boy had sitting next to him taking the one he held.

"Of course," the boy picked each of the other bottles and tossed them in to the cage. Todd caught them both, one with his tongue and the other with his hands. Jubilee jumped up and quickly took the one he had caught in his hands from him.

Kitty approached the cage bars and sat in front of the boy.

"What's your name?" she asked him as he opened the first-aid kit.

"Joshua, yours?" he asked casually pulling out a bandage strip to put on a small cut on her cheek.

"It's Kitty. Hey, I thought you said you had healing powers?"

"I do, but my father said I could only heal the internal stuff, he doesn't want that woman to know about it."

"Mystique? Huh, interesting. Oh, I guess that means fixing my friends broken wrist is out of the question huh?"

"She has a broken wrist?" Joshua looked up at Jubilee at Kitty's comment. Kitty couldn't help noticing the worry in his eyes.

"Yes, she does." Kitty replied gently hoping this boy's pity might lend them a way to get out.

Joshua ran his hands over Kitty's leg and she got a tingling sensation gasping at the sight of a soft golden light emitted from his hands.

"I'll see what I can do, but no promises. I might be able to make into a fracture or something. That way it would still be injured just not as serious or painful. But I can't promise anything, I was told to heal you and I haven't mastered my powers completely. They drain a lot of energy from me."

"Then could you just heal my chest, that's where it really hurts. I think a rib is broken." Kitty asked giving Jubilee a slight smile.

"Ugh….." The boy stopped what he was doing and pulled back.

"What, what's wrong?" Kitty asked hoping she hadn't misjudged him.

"Well…" he seemed fidgety, he ran his hand through his hair and scratched the back of his neck looking down at his feet.

"What?" Kitty repeated.

"You see….I can only heal if there is direct skin to skin contact…and that'd mean…you'd…have to.."

"Lift up my shirt." Kitty finished for him as he trailed off. Kitty tried not to laugh as she watched the boy's face redden.

"It's not that high up," she explained. Jubilee let out a little giggle, which made the boy blush even more. Kitty took a moment to think about the problem. "What if you touched my back? Would that work? And would you be more comfortable with that?"

The boy looked at her with grateful eyes.

"Yeah, I think that'll work."

"Okay then," she turned herself around so her back was facing him. She went to lift up her shirt, then paused.

"You'd better not look Todd." she warned.

"Don't worry I wasn't planning on it." he replied turning completely around facing the corner of the walls and covered his eyes with his hand.

"Wow, that's almost unbelievable for a guy." Jubilee teased.

Todd turned his head over his should, keeping his hand over his eyes,

"Yeah well, Lance would kill me if he ever found out I did something like that. I like my life you know."

Jubilee couldn't help but laugh.

Kitty on the other hand looked away from everyone blushing softly as she lifted her shirt and let Joshua heal her.

_Lance._ Kitty closed her eyes and let the healing happen, her mind focusing on that one name.

_'Lance.' _

The image of her getting into Scott's car, Scott punching Lance then jumping in the car and peeling out down the road jumped into her mind.

_'Lance, How could I be so stupid. I'm sorry. I hope you're okay and that you'll forgive me.' _

A tear rolled down her cheek and Kitty quickly brushed it away as soon as Joshua announced he was finished. She made like she was just fixing her cloths as she looked down a growing sickness sensation in her stomach made her feeling of guilt worse.

"I wish Lance was here." Todd spoke up out of the silence.

"What do you mean?" Kitty asked, a little startled, she hoped they hadn't been watching her.

Todd looked at her, his face full of something close to sorrow.

"He'd find a way to break us out and fight Mystique."

Kitty tried to give him a smile, but she knew her face matched his, she knew what he meant by that. Lance had told her what kind of things Mystique had done when she lived with them, after she had gone and left them alone. Kitty remembered how relieved he had been when there was no sign of her, but that didn't make her feel any better.

_'I wish you were here too Lance, we need you. And there's something I really need to tell you.' _


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 **

**12:50 pm**

**Xavier Institute **

Pietro hoppled his way into the Med Lab and joined the others. Everyone stopped talking and glanced at him, most of the teens were biting their lips trying to keep their cool.

"Nice of you to join us bub," Logan grunted.

Rogue glared at Freddy who saw and edged away as best he could in the confined space. Freddy looked at Pietro for help to call her off but Pietro just glared at Rogue. Logan noticed and raised an eyebrow.

"Something I should know about?" he asked looking at Rogue giving a nod towards the boys with his head.

Rogue looked at Logan and considered her options for a moment. She looked at Pietro and then at Freddy, each giving her a wide-eyed pleading look. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself and looked up at Logan.

"Nothing Ah can't handle myself," she replied.

Freddy and Pietro silently whistled their relief.

**Somewhere in Bayville **

"I'm heading out to complete the next phase of our plan," Mystique spoke appearing in a doorway.

Sinister looked up from his notes and charts and gave her a glance of mild interest.

"Very well. Be careful my dear," he said returning to his work.

"Charming," she replied turning to leave.

"No, not really," Sinister responded without looking up from his writing. Mystique glanced over her shoulder at him. "If something happens to you there won't be anyone here to fight or work for me and I still have research to complete and I need the time to complete it."

"Well then I'll leave you to your work. Try not to kill anyone until I get back," she said and then walked out of his line of sight down the hall and to a flight of concrete stairs.

Sinister stopped writing at her final statement. He stared at the empty doorframe for several minutes, an odd expression on his face. He readjusted himself in his chair and looked back down at his research notes.

"No promises," he replied aloud with a cold grin that matched his name.

**Somewhere in Bayville - the cage **

"Well that's as good as I can get it. I'm too tired to heal anymore, sorry." the boy pulled his hand back from Jubilee's wrist.

"Thanks, it feels better." she smiled at him.

"It's alright we know you tried your best." Kitty spoke up standing up against the bars of the cage. "We really appreciate everything you've done for us."

Her words made the boy turn his head in embarrassment.

"It was nothing really," he started rubbing his hair behind his ear nervously pulling himself up with his other hand.

"No really," Kitty grabbed his hand with both of hers and smiled at him, he returned the gesture. "Thank you. You've like been a big help. We couldn't have done it without you."

Joshua looked puzzled at her statement but before he could ask what she meant by it, a sharp pain in his abdomen forced him to double over into the bars of the cage and fall down to the ground knocked out.

"Kitty!" Jubilee shouted shocked at what Kitty had just done to the boy who had been so nice to them. "What did you do that for?"

"Yeah man, have you lost it? He was giving us help yo."

Kitty slid her leg back from between the bars and looked at the other two.

"I'm getting us out of here." she said. Todd and Jubilee exchanged unconvinced glances and stood silently as Kitty bent down beside the still body of Joshua and reached out and into his pants pockets.

She pulled out a small sliver ring with several keys dangling from it. She looked up at the two mutants who now had stunned expressions on their faces and stood up.

"Come on, let's get out of this cage and find a way out of this creepy place." They headed over to the cage door and Kitty began to fiddle around with the lock, testing each key one by one till she found the one that worked and she released the door, letting the others go free.

"Sweet freedom!" Jubilee squealed softly.

"Feels good yo," Todd remarked, happy that he was able to jump around and stretch his legs again. "How did ya know he had the key to the cage?"

"I didn't," Kitty replied thinking it over with a shrug, "I just made a guess and acted on it. Now help me drag him into the cage."

**1:01**

**Xavier Institute **

"So you're telling me that you followed Scott's car all the way to that construction yard and you're just now saying something about it." Logan growled at Pietro, who he was holding up at claw point, chair and all.

"Well it's not like you actually gave me a chance to say anything earlier!" Pietro yelled back. The two exchanged glares, Pietro scowled and Logan snarled.

Jean touched her temple and sighed.

"Put him down Logan, this isn't helping."

"Well neither is just sitting around here and talking." Bobby remarked coldly from his seat on one of the medical beds.

"Bobby!" Jean snapped turning on him

"What!? Don't look at me like that, I'm right. We should go smack some sense into Scott and then give some payback to Mystique for what she did to the Mansion and Mr. McCoy and the Professor." Some of the others nodded their agreement with him as he spoke.

"Haven't you been listening," Ray shot back, "It wasn't Scott, it was Mystique pretending to be him. And Pietro already told us there was no one at the construction yard, so where do you think we should go genius?" Ray and Bobby stared off, clenching their fists, ready to turn this into a fight.

"Hey stop it you two!" Jean yelled running to get in between them. "Hey, a little help over here guys." she said looking at the rest of the group.

Tabitha looked from Jean and then over her shoulder at the others around her.

"Sorry Red, no can do. I agree with Iceboy, we should go and blow some holes in whatever Mystique's plan is."

"Yeah, and we need to find out what happened to Toad." Freddy added.

"Ve can't forget Kitty." Kurt added.

"Or Jubilee, She's missing too." Sam added a bit angry that no one else had mentioned her.

"Geez we leave for five minutes and the whole place turns to chaos." Jamie said at the door with Evan and Rogue right beside him.

"So what Ah miss?" Rogue asked raising an eyebrow at the others.

"Not much, we just have some inexperienced opinions about how to handle the situation." Jean replied.

"Hey that's totally unfair! Just because we haven't been here as long as you doesn't mean we aren't able to handle stuff like this!" Bobby yelled at her offended.

"Yeah kid, it does." Logan growled from behind him dropping Pietro. Pietro cursed him and struggled to get his wrists free of the chair.

"Okay that's it. This is just annoying now." Evan said walking past everyone and over to Pietro.

"Stay back Daniels, don't you even dare touch me." Pietro snapped.

"Hey man, I was just trying to help." he said holding his hands up in the air, he turned to join the others again. "Have it your way." Pietro glared at him from his seat. Jean rubbed her temples, she was getting fed up with everyone's negative attitudes.

"Here Kurt." Rogue held out a silver cell phone in her hand.

"Oh, mien Handy! But how come you have it? I thought it vas vith Kitty." he asked her taking the cell phone.

"It was plugged up in the kitchen. Evan said it went off when he got a glass of milk." she replied.

"You stopped for a snack of milk and cookies?" Pietro gave him a mocking grin.

"I was thirsty." Evan shot back under his breath stiffing up.

"Stop it! This isn't solving anything!" Jean shouted. Everyone stopped and stared at her. "AH!!" She grabbed her temples and fell to her knees.

"Jean!" Jamie, Amara, and Rahne shouted with worry running to her, they were beaten by Logan.

"Jean, what is it. What's wrong?"

"I…..I don't…I don't know." she said tears beginning to stream down her face. "It hurts….it…make it stop….it…" she trailed off passing out in his arms.

"Just great." he sighed.

"Hey is she okay?"/ "What's wrong with her?"/ "Is she going to be okay?"

"Move it." Logan growled standing up and placing Jean on a bed. "Just let her rest, she's had a rough morning." He didn't want to worry them about how her powers hadn't worked earlier and he unfortunately didn't think he could do anything for her.

**Somewhere in Bayville **

"Where the heck are we?" Jubilee whispered to Kitty from behind her. Kitty gave a look at her over her shoulder and shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

They had successfully left the room they had been caged in with Joshua left knocked out in the cage and locked up in their place. Now they were making their way down a concrete hallway trying to avoid being caught since Todd was the only one with powers to use if they ran into anyone.

"Hey, coast is clear around the next corner yo, and you got to check out this room it's like straight from some kind of freaky sci-fi movie with a crazed scientist." he informed them as he hopped from around the corner.

The girls cautiously turned the corner and followed him down the concrete corridor to the room he had mentioned. They snuck in quickly and closed the door behind them as quietly as they could make it since it was made of metal and was squealing on its hinges.

"Whoa," Jubilee sighed as she took her first look at the room.

"I told you this place is freaky yo." Todd replied getting a confirming nod from the girls. They decided to give the room a closer look.

The room was dark beyond a faint glow coming from somewhere in the back that they couldn't see from the entrance. A metal storage cabinet like the one Joshua had gotten into near the cage stood along the wall beside them. Along with a few open metal shelves and two stainless steel tables each on either side of the room with enough space between them and the walls on all sides that a person could easily walk around.

"So are we going to see what the creepy light is?" Jubilee asked leaning up close behind Kitty.

"Don't be scared ladies cuz Toad is right here to you know, protect you and stuff."

Kitty and Jubilee exchanged unconvinced glances.

"Come on lets check this place out and try and get some answers." Kitty said leading the other two toward the back of the room.

"Yeah, like how come we were kidnapped and drugged with a mutant power suppressant and locked in that stupid cage." Jubilee vented in a loud whisper behind the others.

"I was wondering why he needed our blood." Kitty replied. Todd and Jubilee stopped.

"Blood?" they asked at the same time. Kitty turned and looked at them.

"Didn't that doctor take a sample of _your_ blood?" she asked them. They shook their heads.

"Ugh…what does that mean?" Jubilee asked giving Kitty a worried look.

"I have no idea." Kitty sighed.

"Can we get a move on yo, I want to see what's back here." Todd said hopping over them and continuing on to the back of the room.

The back wall stopped toward the left in an open door space with eight stairs leading down to a back room.

"Why is it suddenly colder?" Jubilee asked.

"Whoa. Freaky." Todd said stopping at the bottom of the stairs. Kitty sighed and pushed past him to get a look for herself. She stood with Todd speechless staring at the room around them.

"What? What is it?" Jubilee asked coming down the stairs and joining them. She took a moment to take in the room too.

"What is this place?" she asked the other two. The three of them stood there side by side in silence staring at each other and the room.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**1: 03 p.m.**

**A road in downtown Bayville **

Scott Summers drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of his red convertible impatiently staring at the red light above him. He flexed his right leg preparing for the light change. He gave an exasperated sigh as he rubbed his temple. He shot a quick glance at himself in his rear view mirror and lifted his red lens sunglasses just high enough to brush the sweat away and catch a glimmer of his golden yellow eyes.

The Light turned green.

He let go of his shades and let them fall down back in place as he gripped the steering wheel and hit the gas.

**Somewhere in Bayville **

"Scott!" Kitty shouted running toward the glass case at the end of the room holding Scott Summers floating in green liquid. The chamber was much smaller, but Kitty recognized it as the kind that holds the Juggernaut. There were four other cases along the wall, three were empty, the other one held a much younger boy none of them recognized.

"Come on you two! Help me get them out! We need to drain the liquid out of the chamber before it will open." Kitty said looking for the control panel. She found it on the adjacent wall.

"Yo who's the kid?" Todd asked tapping the class in front of the small boy's face.

"I don't know, but we're going to help him too." Kitty replied hitting random buttons.

"Nothing's happening," Jubilee observed from over her shoulder "I think you need some sort of key card. Look at the slot across the top." She pointed it out to Kitty.

"Just great, I bet like the only people with access are that Sinister guy and Mystique."

"If we had our powers we could get them out," Jubilee sighed sitting down in a huff, "OOOOH, This is soooo frustrating!"

"If you had your powers you could just reach in and pull them out." Todd mumbled joining Jubilee on the floor.

Kitty looked around the room. The far wall was lined with large square filing doors, no clues as to why Scott and the young boy were being kept in their status chambers. She leaned against Scott's and sighed looking down at the others.

"We can't stay here, but I don't want to just leave them here."

"So what is the plan?" Jubilee asked, her and Todd looking up at Kitty expectantly.

Kitty closed her eyes, the headaches were coming back.

**1: 13**

**Xavier Institute **

"That's not fair!" Bobby shouted at Wolverine, he and the rest of the new mutants were assembling in the garage dressed in their training uniforms, ready to go.

"You ain't going bub and that's final." Wolverine growled back. Rogue, Evan, Pietro, and Freddy were standing behind him dressed and ready for battle.

"Where's the fur-ball?" Pietro asked Rogue wondering where Kurt was. He kept turning his face in all different directions trying to figure out where Kurt was going to suddenly appear.

"I'm right here, and don't call me that." Kurt replied turning in from the corner of the door and walking up to the rest of them.

He received a few odd stares from the younger mutants.

"Yah sure yah up to coming Kurt?" Rogue asked trying not to hint too much on what she meant by it. Kurt just gave her an unsure shrug in reply.

"Something I should know?" Wolverine asked bluntly.

"He can't teleport." Bobby replied quickly before any of the others could say anything else to the contrary. Several of the students, including Kurt, gave him death glares.

"That true elf?"

"Vell yes, actually, but it's really no big deal." he said shifting his weight uncomfortably.

_'First Jean couldn't use her powers, and now the Elf...This can't just be a coincidence. Whatever is going on can't be good.'_ Logan thought to himself.

"Anyone else can't use their powers?" he asked looking around at the group.

"Nope, I'm good." Freddy replied patting his stomach.

"Still quick as ever!" Pietro replied zooming around the group and then stopping by Rogue, leaning on her shoulder with a slight smirk.

Rogue shrugged him away, and then took off a glove and gave him a tap on the nose before he could pull away. Pietro stumbled back and gave her a slight glare.

"Ah think I'm okay," she replied with a wink to the speedster. Then she zoomed around the group once just to prove the point.

"Hey, man what's going on! I was fine this morning when I shot my alarm with a spike to turn it off." Evan explained, tightening his fists and concentrating. He could feel a slight burning under his skin but he couldn't make any spikes pop out. "I don't get this."

Amara powered up and Jamie punched his fists together creating two doubles of himself. Bobby made an ice sculpture of himself and Bezerker blasted it away. Cannonball began to run to pick up some speed and tried to go sonic, tripped and found he couldn't. He sat on the ground and looked back at the others.

"Um, I'm not sure what's wrong."

Rahne tried to turn into a wolf but found out her powers were gone as well.

"But how-"

Tabitha patted the girl on the back to try to cheer her up and then decided to test hers. She was relieved when she managed to create one of her bombs and sent it flying back over her head and into the far wall. Luckily, she hadn't put enough power in it to do too much damage so it just left scorch marks where it impacted.

"So what does this mean?" Tabitha asked looking to Wolverine for answers with the rest of them.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's a coincidence this happened just as the Institute was attacked."

"But I haven't been able to use my teleporting powers for a veek," Kurt interrupted, confused.

"What?" Logan turned to him, "And you're just now saying something about it?"

"I...I..." Kurt couldn't find a response.

"He didn't want anyone to worry about him," Rogue stepped in for him, "Why did yah ask us if we could use our powers Logan?" she asked giving him a suspicious look.

"Because earlier when we found Hank and Charles, Jean couldn't use her powers either."

Amara and Jamie let out small gasps. Everyone was shocked by the news.

"So how come only some of us lost our powers?"/ "Vhat does this mean?" / "Is this part of Mystique's attack?"/ "How could this happen?"/ "Are we going to be okay?"

"Alright, Everybody who can't use their powers follow me back to the Med Lab. The rest of you just hang out till I figure out our next step." Logan said pulling off his mask and leading the young mutants back inside.

'_Something tells me the enemy is already several steps ahead. I don't like it, but I just hope it ain't too late to catch up.'_

**Xavier Institute – The Med Lab **

Jean opened her eyes, sitting up quickly, reacting to her unconscious thoughts. She rubbed her temples, her head was killing her.

_'There has to be a reason why this is happening now.'_ she thought to herself but her head was killing her and making it hard to concentrate.

She slid herself down off the medical bed and stumbled over toward the cabinet along the wall where she knew there would be some Tylenol for her headache.

_'I need to calm down.'_ she told herself as she searched the cabinet, her mind still racing between reality and her unconsciousness.

**Somewhere in Bayville **

"Kitty?" Jubilee asked breaking the silence of the room. Kitty jerked forward surprised that she'd zoned out.

"We need to find a way out to get help. We can't do anything on our own."

She started to head out the room. Todd and Jubilee exchanged silent shrugs and followed Kitty's lead standing up and following her out.

"Good cuz this place is creepy." Jubilee remarked.

"Aw, it's not all bad, at least you aren't in one of those chambers like Summers yo." Todd said chuckling as he gave a look back towards Scott. Jubilee scowled and pushed him away from her into the cabinets lining the wall. Todd hit a door dead on. There was a strange click from it as it opened and swung out hard smacking him back into Jubilee, the two of them tumbling to the ground.

"Shhh! Like do you two want to get us caught?" Kitty turned, yelling in a whisper. "Oh my gosh."

"Not my fault, she pushed me." Todd whined. Jubilee just rolled her eyes.

"Get off me!" she smacked him on the head.

"Guys…" Kitty whispered at them, her voice more serious.

"Alright already!" Todd snapped jumping up and slamming his head into something hard and metal.

"OW! What the heck was that yo?" he asked rubbing his skull.

Jubilee rolled out of the way of the metal tray that had apparently rolled out of the file drawer and stood up.

"Kitty? What's up with you? You look like you've seen a ghost." she said brushing herself off. Kitty just kept staring with bug eyes and gave a slight gesture to what her eyes were locked onto. Todd crawled out and stood up looking at the girls like they were nuts.

"Aw, what has the Kitten all scared? Ha, there a spider or something?" he teased rubbing his head again. "What they have in that cabinet anyways?" he wondered turning around in time with Jubilee to look at what Kitty was pointing to.

"AAAAHHHHHH!!"

Between Jubilee's drawn out scream and Todd's high pitch shrill Kitty was sure that Mystique would come in at any moment, but that wasn't bothering her at that moment.

What the three of them were looking at was a whole lot scarier and creepier than anything Mystique could do to them.

Jubilee gulped and took several steps backwards towards Kitty.

"Is he dead?" she asked, her voice wavy.

The cabinet obviously wasn't for filing. Instead of a tray of files, it was a slide out table with the body of a man lying on top. His skin was pale and slightly grey in color. He couldn't be more than twenty Kitty guessed and by the discoloration of the skin around his lips and finger tips she made the safe assumption he had been dead for awhile. They stood there staring at the man, lying there as if asleep except his eyes weren't moving from under the locks of orange hair, and neither was his chest rising or falling.

"I guess we know why this part of the room is colder, huh." Kitty tried to joke, swallowing to keep from throwing up.

"Do you think they're all filled with bodies?" Todd asked gesturing with his head at the other doors lining the wall.

"Don't open them!" Jubilee snapped, "Please, I don't want to see any more dead people." she covered her eyes as tears started to fall down her cheeks.

"Okay I think we should go, they must have heard us. We aren't safe staying here." Kitty said walking over and giving Jubilee a hug.

_'What have we gotten ourselves into..'_ Kitty thought to herself. She pushed the man back inside his cabinet and closed the door, wondering if they had been safer back in the cage.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**1:20 p.m.**

**Somewhere in Bayville **

Sinister crouched down in front of the metal bars encasing his foster son. The boy is lying on the floor unconscious. He observed the out turned pocket of Josh's pants. Sinister stood up and headed out of the room, an unpleasantly blank expression on his face.

"Useless," he muttered under his breath clenching his fists as he left the room.

**Downtown Bayville **

The red convertible pulled up to the sidewalk. A young teenager walked toward it and hopped into the passenger seat.

"You're late," the driver said. The girl tilted her head and gave a flirtatious smile.

"And here I was thinking it was me waiting on you, silly me," she replied her voice soft but crisp. The two stared at each other before the driver put the car in gear and pulled back out into traffic.

The girl gave a slight laugh at her triumph, brushing strands of her pale blonde hair out of her face revealing her piercing crystal blue eyes that matched her necklace and ring, which is in the shape of a heart with the numbers 16 ingrained in it. She looked more mature than what her ring implied, but she was a sixteen-year-old teenager.

"So this is the cutie's car," she smiled, trailing her finger along the top of the door. The driver gave her a sideways glare but remained silent.

"It suits him," the girl mused smiling at herself in the side mirror.

**Xavier Institute **

-- _beep, beep_ --

Jean jumped at the sudden noise from Lance's alarm watch. She got up, walked over and turned it off.

The Med Lab doors opened and Sam, Rahne, Evan, and Kurt walked in looking out of sorts. They were followed in by Logan, who seemed more stressed-out than usual.

"Jean you're okay!" Rahne said smiling brightly as she ran and gave her a hug.

"How you feelin'?" Evan asked scratching his knuckles again.

"A little better," she replied observing them. "Something wrong?" she asked raising an eyebrow at them. She was curious as to what she missed while she was passed out.

"Jean you think you can manage to keep an eye on things here while I take the others and go scout out our only lead?" Logan asked. He had decided to go while he and the others took the elevator down to the basement.

"Sure, we'll start cleaning up the mess Mystique made, but why are the rest of you staying here?"

"Our powers aren't vorking either," Kurt replied with a weak smile.

"Oh," Jean replied, a little disturbed by the news.

"Jean, " Logan interrupted.

"Yeah, go on ahead. I'll be okay, we all will. Give us a call as soon as you know something."

Logan just gave her a nod before sharply turning around and leaving the room. He walked down the hallway to the elevator heading for the hanger where everyone else was waiting. They would all fit in the X-Jet, and it would get them to the construction yard faster.

**1:27 p.m.**

**Somewhere in Bayville **

"Are those stairs ahead?" Kitty asked as Todd continued to lead them through the maze of hallways. The three of them were very jumpy, reacting to the slightest creak or noise that echoed around them as they clung to the concrete wall.

Todd looked over his shoulder and gave a confirming nod. They quickened their pace and stopped at the steps.

"Do we head up or down?" Jubilee asked looking at Kitty for direction.

"What's that yo?" Todd asked suddenly pointing behind them. The girls turned following his gaze to look back down the hallway. There was a light on near the turn at the end of the hall coming from an open door. What really got their attention was the shadow of a person standing in the doorway's light, it was stationary for a few minutes and then began to move – towards them.

"Quick! You two go up and try to find a way out. I'll try and lure him away," Kitty said.

"No we shouldn't split up," Jubilee protested.

"Just go- hurry!" Kitty shouted pushing against the other's backs forcing them to go up. She watched them run up the steps reluctantly. Kitty turned back around and saw Dr. Milbury standing at the end of the hall looking back at her. She knew she had to give the others time to get away so she turned her head towards the stairs going down and shouted,

"Go guys hurry! Run and hide, he's coming!" Then she sprinted forward, hoping to beat him to the turn in the middle of the hall down the dark hallway she and the others had just come from. She had to find a place to hide, the darkness would only protect her for so long, and she could hear his footsteps chasing her.

**Xavier Institute **

"This isn't fair!" Jamie stormed out of the elevator in a huff. Jean and the others turned around from the storage closet they were currently pulling out supplies from.

"Jamie?"

"Hey everyone," Jamie mumbled. He walked slowly to them and leaned against the wall watching his feet with little interest.

"Are your powers not working?" Jean asked him handing a dust pan and broom to Sam.

"No, my powers are fine but Logan wouldn't let me go with them, he said it'd be too dangerous for me." Jamie replied folding his arms in front of his chest while he slid down the wall. He let out an exaggerated sigh as he sat down on the floor.

Evan and Kurt exchanged glances with Jean. Jean nodded to them.

"Okay everyone, ve need to start with the control room. Come on." Kurt said ushering Sam and Rahne down the hall with Evan.

Jean walked over and sat down next to Jamie.

"You know Logan wasn't trying to be mean to you."

Jamie sighed and looked away from her.

"It's not fair. I keep up with the others in our training practices but I'm still always treated like a little kid who can't do anything useful. I can do lots of things."

"You're right, you can." Jean smiled at him bumping him with her elbow. He turned his head to look at her.

"I've been here a lot longer than you and I'm still trying to prove to him I can handle myself on missions."

"Really?"

"Sure. Logan knows we all work hard and do our best but he has a hard time trusting us kids with things he feels should be left to him and the other adults. That's just his way of thinking and you just have to get used to it."

"Great," Jamie sighed looking away again.

"Or," Jean continued, "you could prove to him you're more capable than he thinks."

"How am I suppose to do that."

"Well you and your multiples would be a really big help in getting this place picked up, I bet he'd be impressed if he came back and found this mess taken care of."

"You think so?"

"Sure. So what do you say, gonna help out?"

"It's not like I have a choice," Jamie gave her a smirk.

"Of course you do, you can either help us clean up or you can go upstairs and finish your homework." Jean smirked as she stood up.

"I already finished it." Jamie replied.

"Well then I guess you're helping out then," she replied with a smile as she stood up.

"Right." Jamie rolled his eyes at her. He got up and together Jean and him started to head down the hallway to help the others.

_--crash--_

They jumped at the sudden crash from behind them. Jean reacted first running into the Med Lab followed behind by the still stunned Jamie.

"Ugh…" a low moan came from the floor between to of the beds as Jamie entered.

"Lance!" Jean exclaimed as she knelt down by him. She began to look him over making sure he didn't have any injuries from his fall of the bed. The only thing she noticed was that the IV had been pulled out, but it hadn't ripped the blood veins, so it seemed to be okay, she figured it would probably just be bruised for a few days.

She helped him get up to a sitting position on the floor. Lance grabbed his skull between his hands.

"Ugh…what the hell…man this is worse than a hangover."

"I wouldn't know, but yeah, the headaches are painful," Jean replied.

"Are you okay?" Jamie asked tentatively as he walked over to them.

Lance looked up from his hands and stared at Jean and then glanced at Jamie, and then back to Jean.

"I'm guessing this headache isn't a massive hangover, or Pietro slipped me something and now I'm hallucinating."

Jean didn't even try to hide the smile on her face.

"You're not hallucinating-," she replied but before she could explain to him what had happened Lance cut her off.

"That's the first thing a hallucination would say."

"Be a little too coherent for a proper illusion of something not real, don't you think," she retorted.

"See now I know you're real," Lance smiled, then grimaced and held his head again. "This is going to stop soon right?" he asked. Jamie shared a worried glance with Jean. Lance looked up at them after a few movements of silence. He had expected an answer.

"We're not even sure what exactly _is_ wrong." Jean told him as he opened his mouth to ask another question. Lance took a moment to let the news sink in.

"What do we know?" he asked figuring he could ask about who the 'we' entailed later.

"Not much. You, the Professor, Hank lost consciousness. Kurt and some of the other student's powers aren't working, same as mine, and yours I'd bet. The mansion was attacked and we think it was Mystique, who also seems to have disguised herself as Scott for whatever reason,"

"Wait," Lance interrupted her. As she was explaining sudden flashes from the days previous events replayed in Lance's mind.

"That was Mystique, not Summers?" he asked. Jean couldn't read the expression on his face, and she didn't dare try using her telepathy just yet.

"Yes," she replied.

"You're sure?" he asked more seriously. Jean just nodded.

"Then what about Kitty, she got into the car with him, her," he corrected himself quickly. Jamie made a strange gulping sound and looked to Jean. Jean didn't reply.

"What about Kitty?" Lance asked again narrowing his eyes.

"Logan took everyone whose powers were working and are out trying to find her right now,"

"Find her!" Lance shouted standing up, startling both Jamie and Jean. "You don't even know where she is and Mystique has her!"

He didn't even wait for Jean to answer him, he was already heading out of the room. Jean quickly got up and followed him.

"Where are you going?" she shouted after him. Lance didn't stop.

"To the boarding house to get the boys, I'll get them to help me look for her,"

"But Pietro and Fred are already helping Logan and the others search for her!" Jamie shouted following the other two down the hall.

Lance stopped in his tracks. Jean closed her eyes, already regretting what she knew was going to happen next.

Lance's arm muscles tensed, he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Why isn't Todd with them too?" he asked.

Jean had to hand it to him, instead of making a comment about how they had managed to get the other two to work with them, Lance was keeping the conversation serious. It remind her of Scott's way of leading with a cut-to-the-chase attitude, but that thought wasn't as comforting as it should have been.

"He's missing too- the others figure Mystique has him as well," Lance looked away, swearing to himself under his breath. Jean didn't need her telepathy to know how he feels, she didn't know where Scott was or what had happened to him either. She felt useless not being out looking with the others, but she knew she couldn't do anymore than them.

**1:33 p.m. **

**Somewhere in Bayville **

Kitty ran down the hallway. She had managed to hide and loose Sinister but she knew it was only a matter of time before he found her again. Her head was killing her.

She slowed down trying to catch her breath and relax before she passed out. She noticed an open door just a few more feet ahead of her.

'_It has to be better than just staying out here in the open,'_ she figured thinking she could hide and rest while she tried to figure out what to do next.

She didn't have to think too hard. The room was obviously an office from the two large mahogany desks set in an 'L' layout. There were several small filing cabinets underneath the desk resting up against the wall, piled high with stacks of papers and files. The other desk had two computer screens, keyboard, and a cleared space for writing. There were a few charts and files laying there. But what caught Kitty's eyes was the small notepad she recognized as the one the doctor had been writing in earlier.

Kitty picked it up giving a quick glance out the door before sitting down in the chair to read his notes and hopefully find out something about what was going on in this place.

It didn't take Kitty long to figure out the doctor's note book wouldn't be much help for that. Everything was written in a coded short hand script. There were tons of things Kitty couldn't make heads or tails of, but other things weren't as hard to understand.

OVTR – 3PH – 2mlIJ0M3 made absolutely no sense to her, but after flipping through a few more pages she came across a few things she figured were references to herself and Todd.

sub 3.7 TT: AB – M1 unviable

sub 3.8 KP: B – M2 viable

"Oh joy," she commented to herself reading that she was 'viable'. For what, she wasn't sure but something told her after seeing that dead man with the others that she didn't want to know.

Kitty dropped the notebook and grabbed her head, her headaches were increasing in pain and frequency.

**Bayville Construction yard **

Wolverine landed the X-Jet then turned to the teenage mutants in the back. Everyone was staying seated but they were in their uniforms and prepared for action.

"We're just trying to find some leads on where Mystique has taken the others. Take a communicator and split up into groups. Don't, and I mean don't get stupid and go off by yourself. And if you come across Mystique be careful, we don't know how she was able to knock out Lance or if she's the one responsible for the loss of the others' powers yet. If she is, then I don't want any of you taking any kind of risks. Got that?"

Everyone nodded, they really couldn't argue with him about it anyways.

"If you're done lecturing I can show you where I found Scottie-boy's ride tracks and Mystique's foot prints." Pietro said sitting up and zooming over to the door, which he opened just as quickly.

"You two go ahead, we'll take a look around and see if we can't find anything else," Rogue said to Logan as she handed out the spare communicators to the new mutants, Blob, and Boom Boom.

**Somewhere in Bayville**

"Do you think Kitty'll be okay?" Jubilee asked following Todd up the stairwell. They had yet to find another entry/exit point as they kept climbing up what should have been various levels. They had at least gone up what should have been four seperate floors, but there was nothing but the stairwell and the concrete walls enclosing them.

"Depends on if Sinister got his hands on her, you know." Todd replied, attempting to be helpful, but Jubilee didn't take it that way. She let out a soft gasp and stopped. She looked back down the stairs they had been climbing.

"Should we go back for her?" she asked more to herself than Todd.

"No way yo, we got to get out of this freaky place and then get some real help." He replied with a hop from one base plateform up to the next one. "This is getting freaky yo, we're going up but we ain't going anywhere."

Jubilee sighed, she agreed with him and was starting to feel weak, she grabbed her head as it started throbbing in pain and callapsed. She began to roll down the stairs but Todd had seen her start to fall and had jumped down after her. He was able to land below her so she fell into his arms.

"Yo, you okay?" he asked gently shaking her. Jubilee didn't respond.

"Great, now what?" he sighed. He decided to just keep going, it was awkward jumping with Jubilee in his arms, he kept banging the sides of his arms into the walls, but it was better than leaving her behind or just staying there like some sitting frogs.

**1:37 p.m.**

**Bayville Construction yard**

"Hey, I think we've got company."

"You've got it backwards, we're the ones dropping in." corrected a young blonde girl with crystal blue eyes. She looked at the two boys sitting beside her in the monitoring room. There were screens in front of them all connected to the various cameras they had installed around the construction yard the past week.

"Does it really matter whose sneaking up on who? Mystique sent us to confront them, we could do that even if they're the ones that get the drop on us." A brunette boy with wavy hair coming down to the middle of his neck said. He ran a gloved hand through his hair as he reclined farther back into his metal chair.

"Yes but then we'd loose our element of surprise, now let's go say hello to our fellow mutants." The girl smiled giving a slight nod with her head toward the screen showing several teenagers in black uniforms walking together around rows of steel girders and metal pipes.

"Lead the way," the other boy, a black teenager with dreadlocks reaching just past his ears with a bandanna on his head, said as he gestured toward the door.

"I intend to," the blonde girl replied with a sly smile on her face.

"Whatever," the brunette sighed as he sluggishly stood up and followed the other two outside.


	18. Chapter 18

**By the Minute – Chapter 18**

**1:37 p.m.**

**Somewhere in Bayville **

_-ring, ring-_

"What is it, I'm busy," Sinister spoke into his cell phone. He clicked off the light of the room he had just searched in for Kitty.

"Well if you feel it's necessary, far be it from me to stop you from having a little fun. Just make sure to hurry back, I could use your help here." He clicked his phone shut and continued down the hall resuming his search.

**Xavier Institute**

"Thanks for helping us with all this," Jean said as she and Lance carried out the last of the rubble from the monitor room into the trash. Lance shrugged his shoulders.

"No big," He replied. "Staying around here means I find out what happened to our powers faster anyways."

"I'm more concerned with when or if we'll be getting them back," Jean replied. Lance nodded his agreement.

"What makes you think they won't?"

"Well I hope they do, but since different people who have lost their powers show different symptoms, like us and our headaches, for example, makes me wonder if whatever did this has different side effects. Kurt hasn't been able to use his teleporting powers for a whole week and yet his physical mutation wasn't changed. No one else besides me and him, that I know of, have had powers gone for the whole week. I didn't really notice till today, and that's because it was only my ability to enter other's heads that was effected, till I tried to lift Hank earlier."

"And the injection knocked me out, but no one else had any kind of sudden lapse of consciousness," Lance offered another example. Jean nodded. He understood what she was saying. It made sense to him. Now he was just left wondering if that meant his powers were gone for good.

"Hey Jean! Lance!" Jamie called at them from the door way. They glanced at each other and then ran the rest of the way down the hall towards Jamie.

"What is it?" Jean asked following him into the room. Lance just stood in the doorway leaning on the framework.

"I think I've got most of the monitoring systems fixed and look," Jamie began settling himself down in front of a chair and began clicking a few buttons. "I've retrieved some footage from the backup system. Mystique must not have known about it."

"Or she just didn't have time to clear or destroy it." Lance offered from behind them.

Jamie swiveled around and looked at him. Jean placed her hand on his shoulder and nodded toward the screens.

"Show us." she said.

Jamie clicked a button and the screens that weren't damaged began to play the same footage.

It was from the camera positioned just above the elevator entrance facing out into the hall outside the Cerbro room. Lance straighted himself as he watched Scott approach the closed door. The door opened

Charles Xavier was there, at the door, clearly on his way out. Scott backed up a few paces.

"Sorry, I couldn't get any sound." Jamie explained as Professor X's mouth began moving. Scott didn't say anything, he just stared at the Professor with a slight smile on his face. Then suddenly he jumped up and round kicked Charles on the side of the head knocking him over in his wheelchair.

"Professor!" Jamie shouted and Jean tighten her grip on his shoulder.

Scott then bent over the body and pulled out a syringe from his pocket and injected it into the old man's neck. Then he seemed to react to a sound, flicking his head over his shoulder looking further down the hallway. He got up quickly and walked off screen. Jean guessed he was headed toward the very room they were in, where she had found Hank earlier.

"Mystique," Lance and Jean said at the same time.

"I'll try to find some more footage."

"That's great work Jamie, keep at it. I'll be right back, I just want to go check in on Hank and the Professor and then see how the others are doing with the rest of the clean up." Lance stepped aside to let her out of the room.

"Hey kid," Lance spoke up. Jamie turned and looked at him.

"Yeah, what?"

"How far back does the backup footage go anyways?"

"Besides the specific saved stuff, everything gets stored back an extra month. Why?"

"Just a hunch, but try and get some footage from around a week ago," Lance replied. Jamie didn't understand why but with a shrug of his shoulders he turned back to the monitoring system and began searching.

**1:42 p.m.**

**Bayville Construction yard**

The three mutant teens stepped out of the small building they had been using to monitor the security systems. Before they could close the door behind them a swirling gust of sand appeared in front of them, causing them to cover their eyes. As quickly as it came, the gust of sand began to take on a solid form until the wind died down to reveal another teen, a girl wearing a burkha of black.

"Dust, we weren't expecting you," the blonde said.

"Mystique called me only a moment ago with new orders," Dust replied then she nodded toward the boy with wavy hair.

"Wither, Mystique wants you to go and help Sinister down in the Lab. I am to take your place and assist in fighting the-"

"Fine," he cut her off, "I'll go but stop calling me Wither, my name is Kevin."

He began to walk away from the others towards the back gate of the construction yard. The three mutants watched him leave.

"Is he alright?" Dust asked the other two. The other boy smiled at her.

"Oh sure, he's just depressed about his codename. Not that I blame him, I'd be depressed too if my codename made it seem like I was a wrinkly old hag." He let out a short laugh.

"Tag, if you're done amusing yourself, perhaps you could help us play with our guests," the blonde girl spoke up with an icy smile on her face.

"Sure thing," Tag replied, he trailed her, alongside Dust, towards where they had observed the others heading to on the security footage.

**Somewhere in Bayville**

Kitty knew time was not on her side. She began searching the office room she was in while doing her best to ignore the pain of her head. She kept the small notebook she had found in hand and tried the desk drawers. She wasn't surprised to find them all locked except the small top one that contained nothing but various spare office supplies. She had hoped there would at least be paperclips in there for her to try and pick some of the locks but unfortunately the Doctor preferred staples.

"If only I had my powers." Kitty thought to herself as she went to the filing cabinet. She bent down low and opened the first drawer. She did it slowly remembering the sight of the dead body in the room she, Todd, and Jubilee had been in. She had thought those cabinets were filing ones too and been wrong, but she figured these wouldn't be as bad since they were at least square in shape. She was still apprehensive, not wanting to assume everything was completely safe and wind up in more danger.

She looked inside the drawer and gasped.  
"I don't believe it!" she excitedly whispered to herself. She reached into the drawer and grabbed her brown backpack purse. "Please still be in here," she spoke as she opened it up and reached in. She had to stop herself from squealing when she found her communicator.

She clicked it on and was a little unhappy to hear crazy loud static coming from it. She knew that it meant the communicator wasn't able to send or receive a clear signal from that channel. She clicked the dial till she found one that made the least amount of static noise and then held down the talk button.

"Hello, is anyone there? This is Kitty. Please someone answer me." _'Please let someone hear this...'_ she thought to herself.

**Bayville Construction yard **

It wasn't as easy to take the lead as Rogue had thought, but she kept at it. They were keeping together in a train-line beginning with her, and ending with the Blob, looking for anything that might be a clue towards Mystique or where she might have taken the others. It hadn't taken long for Rogue to know they weren't here. One hostage, maybe, but keeping several around such an open and exposed area didn't make much sense. She kept at their current mission. They were making their way around some piles of construction materials.

As she rounded the end of a pile of metal pipes she was suddenly stopped.  
"Hey there beautiful, miss me?" Quicksilver greeted her suddenly with a smirk on his face. Rogue was a little surprised by his sudden appearance. She wasn't able to give him any reply.

"Rogue, what is it?" She heard Boom Boom ask. The others had noticed that she was no longer moving on and were anxious to know why.

"It's fine. It's just Pietro," Rogue sighed as she turned and walked back to join the others. Quicksilver zipped to her side. The others seemed surprised to see him too.

"Why aren't you with Wolverine?" Rouge demanded.

"I was!" Pietro began his defense, "I took him right to where I previously found the tire tracks with Mystique's footprints. He-did-his-sniffing-thing-and was complaining about not being able to catch any good scent or whatever when he suddenly got all paranoid about something and then Mystique appeared out of nowhere and your Wolverine informed me he'd handle her and that I should go and find you guys."

"So you just left him alone with her?"

"He seemed to want it that way, and that's more than fine by me. If those two want to duel to work out all their sexual frustrations with one another, I have no problem leaving them to it. Whatever works right?"

He gave Rogue another smirk as several of the others let out a few snickers. Even Rogue had a slight smile that crossed her face from his reply.

"Should we go and help?" Iceman asked after everyone composed themselves. Rogue was about to answer him but she was cut short by the sound of footprints approaching from behind her.

"No need for that, I do believe you'll all have your hands full for awhile," someone, a girl, spoke up.

Everyone looked at the three strangers who had just approached them. No one recognized them.

******1:54 p.m.**

**Xavier Institute**

_- arff, arroof!-_  
"Whoa!" Lance shouted as he was literally toppled down backwards to the ground by a very hairy and happy dog like wolf.

"Rahne!" Jamie and Jean exclaimed. Jamie bolted up from his seat. Rahne backed up off Lance, who was still stunned, and wagged her tail at the others. She sat up just as Jamie came to her and turned back into her usual self.

"My powers are back!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"That's great!" Jamie smiled giving her a high-five.

Lance pushed himself up to his feet and exchanged a look with Jean. Jean smiled at him.

"Well at least now we know this isn't permanent."

"For her, like you said, it seems to have effected a few of us differently."

"Sorry if I startled you Lance," Rahne apologized trying to stop smiling so big as she spoke to him. Lance nodded at her that he understood. He was aware that her smile wasn't about being insincere with the apology and everything to do with her powers returning. He would be just as happy when he got his back. _If_, he got them back.

"Jamie?" Jean questioned suddenly. Everyone in the room turned their heads towards her. "Why is this button here suddenly blinking?" Jamie dashed towards the control panel.  
"That means someone is sending a communication signal!" He replied just as quickly. He flicked a speaker switch and then clicked the button.

The four of them all covered their ears as the room was filled with a loud static sound. Jamie recovered and swirled the volume dial down.  
"The signal must be weak or on a different channel. I'll go ahead and give it as much boost as I can, the systems damaged though. If that doesn't work I guess we can try to flip through the channels and see what we get."  
"Do you think they found Kitty and the others already?" Rahne asked hopefully.

Lance and Jean exchanged doubtful glances. Their silence was reply enough for Rahne. She sighed and began heading out the room.

"I'll go tell the others we might be getting a communication." She said as she left.

Jean leaned over the control panel near Jamie. "Anything I can do to help?" she asked. She was anxious for an update from the others.

Jamie pointed at a rotating dial. "That's the channel control, try clicking it through slowly." Jean began to do just that. Lance was just as anxious as Jean but he chose to hang back a few feet and let the other two work.

_-click... -_  
"Nothing." Jamie shook his head. Jean clicked it again.

_-click...-  
-click...-  
-click...-  
-click...-_"Please, someone respond." Kitty's pleading voice came through faintly among a lot of static.

"Kitty!" Jamie, Jean and Lance exclaimed. Lance moved closer to the others.

"How do we reply back Jamie?" Jean asked a bit frantic.

"Can anyone hear me? Please respond, I'm not sure how much longer I can safely communicate from here."

"Here," Jamie pointed to a button a few spaces below the one that had been blinking. "You have to hold that one down to talk. I think." Jamie replied. Jean nodded and clicked the button trusting Jamie was right. She understood why he'd start doubting himself now.

"Kitty, it's Jean. Are you alright? Where are you?"

"I'm fine for now. Mystique captured me and is working with some insane Doctor. I don't know where we're at, but it's probably underground somewhere."

"Her signal is really weak," Jamie groaned as he frantically worked to pinpoint her location.

"She said we, ask her who's she with." Lance insisted.

"Kitty, who's with you?" Jean asked hoping it was everyone they were looking for. Kitty responded, talking very quickly causing more static.

"Todd and Jubilee were with me earlier, we had to split up. There's some status chambers with Scott and some kid in a room with a dead body and then the Doctor's got a kid, his name is Josh, but he's not dangerous... Oh no! I hear someone coming, I have to go, you have to get the others and-"

There was no sound in the room other than the static from the open communication line.

Jean held down the button, "Kitty... KITTY!" There was no response. After another minute the communication line was dropped.

"We have to figure out where she is and go help her!" Lance said. Jean turned and looked at him. They could tell by reading the others face that they had both heard everything Kitty had said. There was one part that had both of them worried.

"I'm trying... I really am..."

"We know Jamie. You keep working at it. I'll get the others. Show Lance how to send a communication to the others, they'll want to know we heard from Kitty." She turned and headed towards the door. "And Lance," she stopped and looked at him from over her shoulder.

"Yeah?" he asked her.  
"Make sure you tell Wolverine everything she said." He gave her a quick nod of understanding and then she left the room.

******Somewhere in Bayville**

"I hear someone coming, I have to go, you have to get the others and- " Kitty stopped talking.  
She remained silent, standing still, starring directly into the eyes of the man who stood in the doorway of his office.


End file.
